Makes about 30 bars
THE CHICAGO AREA IS FULL OF SOME OF AMERICA’S FINEST CHEFS, BOTH SWEET and savory. Mindy Segal is one of those chefs, a magician in the pastry world and one of my heroes. Her restaurant, Mindy’s Hot Chocolate, is a must-visit, for dinner, dessert, or ideally both. What I love most about Mindy’s style is that it’s creative, bold, unapologetic, and always in tune with her midwestern roots.
Mindy’s book Cookie Love should be on every home baker’s shelf, and her riff on meringue-topped Dream Bars, a concept found in many a vintage cookbook, simply cannot be bested. I was thrilled when she agreed to let me share her recipe in these pages.
4 ounces/113 g bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), melted
Nonstick cooking spray for pan
1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup/100 g granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
2 cups/256 g unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus a separate pinch for egg whites
1 cup/225 g firmly packed dark brown sugar
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. With an offset spatula, spread the melted chocolate into a rough, 9 × 13-inch/23 × 33 cm rectangle. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until completely firm, about 10 minutes.
Lightly coat a 9 × 13-inch/23 × 33 cm light-colored metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper with a couple of inches of overhang on 2 opposite sides.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light in color, fluffy, and aerated, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the bowl often. In a small bowl, add the water and vanilla to the egg yolks and whisk to blend. Keeping the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the egg yolk mixture and mix until smooth.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Stir the flour mixture into the batter just until the dough comes together and still looks a bit shaggy. Remove the bowl from the mixer and finish stirring the dough by hand. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan.
Remove the chocolate from the freezer and break it up into shards. Scatter the chocolate shards across the surface of the dough and then press into the dough (you’ll want to press firmly so the shards are held fast into the dough, but work quickly so the heat of your hands doesn’t melt the chocolate). Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
Position a rack to the center of the oven, and preheat it to 350°F/180°C.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and a pinch of fine sea salt on medium speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the brown sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip to stiff, glossy peaks, about 3 minutes. Spread the meringue in an even layer over the chilled dough.
Bake until the meringue resembles a lightly toasted marshmallow, 23 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees about halfway through baking—do not overbake or the shortbread will be too crumbly to cut. Let cool completely in the pan. Once cool, refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Lift the bars out of the pan, using the parchment handles, and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 30 small bars (a small bite goes a long way here). The bars can then be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.