Orange Almond Cookie Bars. Ground almonds and orange zest form the centre of these delicious cookie bars. They freeze well for Holiday baking or to keep them on hand for a tea break at any time.
Orange Almond Cookie Bars
These soft, tender cookie bars are part orange cookie, part shortbread and part almond filled cookie. The collision of flavours and textures is just excellent. They would make great lunchbox cookies or a great take-along treat to a summer picnic.
For variations on this cookie bar recipe, try lemon or lime zest in the filling. Both are delicious too!
Either way, they are sure to be a hit. These also freeze quite well, making them ideal for Holiday baking too.
2019 Update
Since making our Raspberry Filled Cookie Bars, I have changed the method for adding the pastry layers to this recipe.
Raspberry Filled Cookie Bars
The new instructions make a top layer that is easy to transfer over the filling before baking. I understand that the photo does show a 9×9 pan but the 9×13 pan size noted in the recipe is correct for this recipe. The photo is for demonstration purposes only.
Raspberry Filled Cookie Bars demo.
Roasted hazelnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts and pecans.
You can also change up the ground nuts in this recipe if you like. I’ve used hazelnuts too, and they were delicious. A mixture of nuts might also be a good idea!
Orange Almond Cookie Bars
You might also like to try some of our very popular recipes in our Best Newfoundland Christmas Cookies Collection.
Newfoundland Christmas Cookie Recipes
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Orange Almond Cookie Bars
Orange Almond Cookie Bars. Ground almonds and orange zest form the centre of these delicious cookie bars. They freeze well for Holiday baking or to keep them on hand for a tea break at any time.
Ingredients
- FOR THE PASTRY LAYERS
- 2 2/3 cups flour
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups cold butter
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- FOR THE FILLING
- 1 cup finely chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- zest of one large orange, finely minced
- 1 beaten egg
Instructions
TO PREPARE THE PATRY LAYERS
In a food processor pulse together the flour, sugars, and butter until well combined and small pieces of butter are still visible
Whisk together the egg and vanilla extract.
Add to the flour and butter mixture and pulse until a dough forms.
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions.
Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with plastic wrap and press one half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the lined pan. Lift the flattened dough out onto a cookie sheet, still keeping it on the plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Lightly grease the 9x13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper for easy removal of the cookie bars when they are baked.
Press the other half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the parchment lined pan. I use the back of a tablespoon to smooth it out evenly.
Spread the filling evenly over the base layer.
Take the dough rectangle from the fridge and flip it onto the filling layer. Peel off the plastic wrap and press down lightly on the dough with the backs of your fingers to release any air pockets trapped under the dough.
TO PREPARE THE FILLING
Mix together all of the ingredients well and spread evenly over the bottom crust.
Place the second layer of pastry over the filling and using a small juice glass, roll the dough gently until it fits into the corners and completely covers the filling.
Press whole almonds into the centre of where the bars will be cut for garnish if desired.
Bake 325 degrees F for approximately 40 - 45 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Notes
Since making our Raspberry Filled Cookie Bars, I have changed the method for adding the pastry layers to this recipe.
The new instructions make a top layer that is easy to transfer over the filling before baking. I understand that the photo does show a 9x9 pan but the 9x13 pan size noted in the recipe is correct for this recipe. The photo is for demonstration purposes only.
Nutrition Information
Yield
36Serving Size
1 cookieAmount Per Serving Calories 163Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 28mgSodium 81mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 1gSugar 10gProtein 2g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.