Orange Almond Bars

Last night, it was 5 degrees outside. Let's just say my toes were cold. I could feel the cold seeping through my walls, and we wanted something that was creamy and delicious. What we came up with were these delightful bars that combine tangy orange with flavorful almond. Oh, and they happen to be covered with creamy cream cheese.

These cut the chill, and brought some of the flavors we love together.



Orange Almond Bars

Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups gluten free flour mix

• 3/4 cup sorghum flour
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup almond meal
  

1 teaspoon xanthan gum
the zest of one orange, finely grated

For the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and prepare an 11 x 7 inch pan. Using a fork, your fingers, or a pastry cutter, mix together the butter, sugar, flour, xanthan gum and orange zest. Give it some love until the mix is similar to breadcrumbs. Add teaspoons of water, gradually, until the dough can form a ball, but isn't sticky. (I used probably 3 teaspoons). Press the dough into the pan. Set aside.

Filling:
7 tablespoons butter, diced
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups ground almonds, or almond meal
1 cooked carrot, chopped fine in the food processor, or coarsely grated

In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs and almond extract. Stir in the ground almonds or almond meal (almond meal, prepackaged, is the fastest and easiest) and the grated cooked carrot. Spread this mixture over the crust base and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

3/4 cup neufchatel or cream cheese

When the bars are cool, you're ready for some topping! Beat the cream cheese or neufchatel (which has less fat) in a mixer until it's smooth. I found it best to add a few drops of water until it became "spreadable." This is important, or it will pull up the top layer of the bars when you start to "ice" your bars. Spread with a knife over the cooled bars, making fun patterns.

Notes:

• the carrot can easily be cooked by chopping off the ends and microwaving until it's soft. Then chop into large pieces, and blend in the food processor until consistent. (Much better than boiling a carrot on the stove, just for this recipe).
• These are best eaten fresh, or wrapped and stored in the fridge. With the cream cheese on the top, it's better not to leave them sitting out for days (although they may not last that long anyway...)