Recently I’ve been reading Amy Thomas’s dessert-filled memoir, Paris My Sweet in which she describes her journey to track down the most delectable sweets in Paris. I am so impressed by how simply through her mastery of language, she can make my mouth water! I’ve had an insatiable desire for an indulgent treat ever since reading Thomas’s description of macarons as “firm but tender, shiny yet rigged ,with ethereally light shells and heavy middles [that make them] miniature studies of contrasts-and deliciousness.”
While these Halfway Cookie Bars definitely lack the delicate refinement of macarons, they make up for it with their melty chocolatey deliciousness.
Cookie Dough
Press it into the pan: Layer one done!
I’m warning you now…these cookies are addictive. Make them at your own risk. Luckily for me, I made them and then was immediately able to dispense them among ravenous friends, our high school’s victorious baseball team, and much-deserving teachers.
Chocolate: layer two
These things are ridiculously good! If chewy chocolate chip cookies and fluffy meringue cookies had a love child, this would be it. These bars consist of a classic cookie dough base topped with a layer of chocolate, and then finished off with a meringue coating. The lightness of the meringue makes it so that you can scarf down two or three of these bars without going into a butter-induced food coma.
Whipped Brown Sugar Meringue
Scoop all of that fluffy deliciousness on top of the cookie dough and chocolate…what could be better!
Three layers complete. Add the sprayed parchment, then into the oven they go!
My little sister helped me make these scrumptious treats, and while they do require quite a few steps, none of them are that difficult… except for the last one.
Halfway Cookie Bars
Adapted from The Kitchn
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, separated
- 1 whole egg + 2 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chunks
- Canola oil cooking spray
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover a 9 x 13 inch pan with aluminum foil, leaving some extra foil to hang over all four sides of the pan and spray the foil with cooking spray. This will ensure safe removal of the bars after they cool.
- Make the cookie dough by whisking together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl. Then use a mixmaster to blend together the butter, the granulated sugar and just 1/2 cup of the brown sugar until it’s smooth and creamy. Slowly mix the egg into the sugar-butter mixture until it is completely absorbed, then mix in the water and vanilla. With the mixer at a low speed, add the flour mixture and beat gently until all the flour has been absorbed and the dough looks crumbly.
- Gently press the cookie dough gently into the pan with your hands, making sure the surface is even.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks on top of the cookie dough and use your palms to press them slightly into the dough. This will help keep the chips from moving when you add the meringue.
- Start making the meringue by whisking together the two egg whites in the mixmaster in a clean bowl with a clean whisk attachment. Gradually increase your speed to medium-high. When the egg whites are very frothy and look like loose foam, start adding the remaining half cup of brown sugar a little at a time. Continue increasing your speed to the highest setting. When all the sugar has been added, continue whipping the meringue until it holds firm peaks.
- Use a spatula to gently spread the meringue on top of the chocolate layer. Star by dumping the meringue in the center of the pan, and gradually spreading it out towards the edges.
- Coat a piece of parchment paper with cooking spray, then lightly press it on the top of the meringue to protect the meringue from scorching. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment. Continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the edges look toasted and are pulling away from the sides of the pan.
- This is the most difficult step of the entire process, but do your best to wait until the pan is completely cook before lifting out the bars and cutting them into pieces.
Optional Variations:
- Add some espresso powder or cocoa powder to the top merangue layer for a more pronounced flavor
- Swap some or all of the chocolate chips for butterscotch chips or toffee pieces
- Replace the chocolate layer with a fresh fruit preserve layer
- Replace the classic cookie base with a peanut butter cookie base
- Add old fashioned oats and coconut to the bottom for a bar reminiscent of Hello Dolly Bars
Or try anything else you can think of, the sky’s the limit!
Modern Alice 