one of my biggest pet peeves in the kitchen is waste. it drives me nuts when i let things go bad or if i spill something usable. so at every opportunity, i try to use every part of an ingredient. 

which leads me to a simple, but super effective ingredient you are probably throwing away.
citrus peels can be used in a variety of ways to add flavor, color or a little style to whatever you are eating and drinking. you can use the peel before the fruit, just store it after you peel it in a plastic bag or airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to use it. now pretty much any citrus fruit works for any of the following methods so have fun and get creative! 

skinny twist
uses: small pieces can be mixed with sugar to garnish a cocktail glass. can be used in any size to decorate cakes, bars and other desserts. larger twists can be used to garnish cocktails. you will need a channel knife which can be found HERE. 

hook the edge of the knife into your citrus. apply pressure with your thumb and slide the channel knife around the circumference of the citrus. 

lift the knife when you have the desired length. 

citrus twist
uses: cocktail garnish. beer garnish. cake decoration. food or beverage garnish.
to execute the twist, you will need a veggie peeler. you may have one in your home, but if not, you can get one HERE.

start by hooking your peeler into the citrus towards the top (where the citrus was picked off the tree). apply pressure and drag the peeler around the circumference of the citrus, guiding it towards the bottom.

lift the peeler when you have the desired length.

citrus zest
uses: GREAT flavor adder!!! use it in marinades, dressings, frostings, batters, doughs for great flavor with no extra liquid. it can also be used to decorate desserts, add color to a plate or mixed with fresh herbs as a coating for goat cheese. you can always peel and finely chop the peel, but a micro plane is a great help! you can get one HERE. 

hold the citrus against the micro plane. drag the citrus against the grate. 

continue until you have your desire amount. notice that it collects on the back of the micro plane so you may need to wipe it to release some of the zest. 

enjoy!
xo, a

when summer comes to a close, it is always a bummer for a whole host of reasons. bye bye long days, warm water and insane fresh produce. now that we are in the thick of winter, i'm missing those gorgeous summer berries, juicy watermelon and vine ripened heirloom tomatoes that didn't have to come from the other hemisphere. basically, i have the pretty produce blues. 

but the bright shining, light in these dreary months? winter citrus. oh yes, they come in all sizes and colors. sweet lemons, blood oranges, POMELOS! there are just so many choices. and sometimes while i'm at the produce store, i can't pick just one. so i end up with an abundance of choices and in need of a recipe to use them all up. 

lemon bars are a classic treat, but they become something stunning when you sub mixed winter fruit instead of just lemons. i've baked this recipe using everything from blood oranges, to limes, to grapefruit and every combo in between. use what you have on hand, what you like, or use what you think is prettiest. 

winter citrus bars
serves: 12-18 bars (depending on the size you want)
prep time: 10 minutes
inactive time: 30 minutes
cook time: 55 minutes
total time: 1 hour 35 minutes
ingredients: crust. .5 lb butter (2 sticks). .5 cup sugar. 2 cups all purpose flour. .25 tsp salt. 

filling. 6 large eggs. 2.5 cups sugar (3 cups if you use only lemons). 1 cup flour. 2 tbs citrus zest. 1 cups citrus juice (i used the 75% grapefruit, 1 lemon and 1 blood orange. served segments of fruit for garnish. .25 cup powdered sugar for garnish. parchment paper. 9 x 13 inch baking pan. 

in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. 

on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar till well combined. 

turn the mixer down to low and add in the flour and salt. mix till combined and the dough starts to come together. 

line your baking pan with parchment and turn the dough out into the pan. 

use your hands to gently press the dough into the pan so it is in an even layer. 

lightly poke the crust with a fork and chill for 30 minutes. 

preheat your oven to 350 degrees f. 

bake your crust for 12-15 minutes until it just starts to lightly brown on the edges. remove it from the heat, and set on a cooling rack. 

while the crust is baking, combine the eggs, juice, zest, 2.5 cups sugar and flour in the bowl of a stand mix. 

whisk on medium speed till well combined. 

pour the filling onto the cooling crust and bake till set and no longer giggling. about 30-35 minutes. 

if you reserved citrus segments to decorate your bars, bake your bars off until almost cooked, about 20-25 minutes. remove, place your segments in desired design and place back in the oven for remaining bake time. 

once done, remove from the even and allow to cool to room temperature.
the easiest way to cut them is to first freeze them. once frozen, pull the parchment out of the pan and discard it.

slice the bars into desired size. 

dust with powdered sugar and serve. 

xo, a

winter citrus bars
serves: 12-18 bars (depending on the size you want)
prep time: 10 minutes
inactive time: 30 minutes
cook time: 55 minutes
total time: 1 hour 35 minutes
ingredients: crust. .5 lb butter (2 sticks). .5 cup sugar. 2 cups all purpose flour. .25 tsp salt.
filling. 6 large eggs. 2.5 cups sugar (3 cups if you use only lemons). 1 cup flour. 2 tbs citrus zest. 1 cups citrus juice (i used the 75% grapefruit, 1 lemon and 1 blood orange. served segments of fruit for garnish. .25 cup powdered sugar for garnish. parchment paper. 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar.
on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar till well combined.
turn the mixer down to low and add in the flour and salt. mix till combined and the dough starts to come together.
line your baking pan with parchment and turn the dough out into the pan.
use your hands to gently press the dough into the pan so it is in an even layer.
lightly poke the crust with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.
preheat your oven to 350 degrees f.
bake your crust for 12-15 minutes until it just starts to lightly brown on the edges. remove it from the heat, and set on a cooling rack.
while the crust is baking, combine the eggs, juice, zest, 2.5 cups sugar and flour in the bowl of a stand mix. whisk on medium speed till well combined.
pour the filling onto the cooling crust and bake till set and no longer giggling. about 30-35 minutes.
if you reserved citrus segments to decorate your bars, bake your bars off until almost cooked, about 20-25 minutes. remove, place your segments in desired design and place back in the oven for remaining bake time.
once done, remove from the even and allow to cool to room temperature.
the easiest way to cut them is to first freeze them. once frozen, pull the parchment out of the pan and discard it.
slice the bars into desired size.
dust with powdered sugar and serve.