Meringue Topped Chocolate Chip Bars
This recipe for Meringue Topped Chocolate Chip Bars has been around since the 1930s. They’re often called Chocolate Halfway Bars and are a close relative to Mud Hen Bars, which have the addition of marshmallows. When I saw them on the American Heritage Cooking blog, I knew I must give them a whirl.
Meringue Topped Chocolate Chip Bars
The original recipe calls for shortening in the base, but I swapped this out for butter, plus upped the original chocolate. Duh. The crackly meringue topping isn’t the easiest to cut. Scoring while warm may give a better presentation, but we were running out the door when these came out of the oven.
The family didn’t seem to mind that their bars weren’t perfectly square or covered with an unmarred brown sugar meringue topping. I have a feeling you’ll be just as intrigued by these as I was…enough to give them a try.
For another unique meringue dessert, check out these lovely Tropical Napoleons. And these Simple Meringue Cookies are consistently my most popular recipe! Plus, peruse all these Bar Cookies!
Meringue Topped Chocolate Chip Bars
A unique, old-fashioned chocolate chip bar topped with meringue.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, separated
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 ½ teaspoons water
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° and line 8 x 8 inch baking dish with non-stick foil or foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, soda, and baking powder and set aside.
- In a larger bowl, using a hand mixer, beat butter with the 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar until very light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, water, vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour mixture.
- Pat into baking dish and top with chocolate chips.
- Beat egg white until stiff; gradually beat in ½ cup brown sugar. Spread over chocolate. Bake in for 25 minutes or until top is golden. Cut into bars while warm. Cool completely.
Notes
Total time does not include cooling time.
Recipe adapted from the Good Housekeeping Cookbook, 1955 Edition, via American Heritage Cooking Blog
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 barAmount Per Serving: Calories: 182Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 94mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g
47 Comments on “Meringue Topped Chocolate Chip Bars”
My Mom, Grandma and Aunts all made this recipe when I was growing up. My mom even won a Blue Ribbon for them! I have made them all my 46 years of married life as well. We use different ingredient amounts and bake them in a 9 x 13 pan. Since my husband is allergic to chocolate, I use butterscotch chips on one end of the pan so he can enjoy them as well!!
Oh, what nice memories, Miriam!! Thanks for sharing—I had never heard of these until I starting blogging!
I have 2 different recipes from my mom for these. As a child I used to sneak the pan of bars and eat as many as I could. These are my absolute favorite bar! Mom never knew where the recipe came from, just handed down through the years. Thanks for the recipe and the cookbook info. yum yum
You’re most welcome, Patty! I need to make another batch!!!
These look incredible! WOWWWWWWWWWWWW. xxx
I have been making these bars for decades! Try them with butterscotch chips instead of chocolate, they are my daughter’s favorite, simply heavenly.
I am definitely intrigued enough to give these a go, I have never had meringue topped bars before, its a really good idea one which I wish I had tried ages ago the flavour possibilities are endless here!