These mud hen bars are the FIRST thing I baked for the blog in my kitchen!
Isn't that crazy? I feel like it makes 'em super special.
You know what else makes these mud hen bars special? How much better the photos are when you compare them to the last mud hen bars I made (go ahead. Click the link. Take a look. Laugh at my atrocious pictures. Then come back here to continue reading and get the ooey gooey recipe.)
Now that we've all had a good laugh. Let's discuss THESE mud hen bars. They're not your typical MHB (got tired of typing out that whole, long, random name. Yeah, I've no clue where the name "mud hen bar" came from). Most MHB's have a sugar cookie base topped with choc chips and marshmallows and a brown sugar meringue. And like...they're ok. But-I'm not in love with sugar cookies (notice how I have no recipes for them in the archives?) so it makes sense that it wouldn't really speak to me.But these are CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE MHB's and...um...I sort of loooove CCC's!
Ooooh these bars are crazy goooey and brown sugar-y wonderful! That meringue on top is all crackly and wonderful-mmmmm. Now, mine might have been a little extra gooey beeeecause....I underbaked 'em a bit.
Oops.
It's cool though! A yummy gooey cookie bar is a win, regardless!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Mud Hen Bars
From Crazy for Crust
Makes one 9"x9" pan.
Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup (or 1 stick or 8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, divided
- 1 egg + 2 egg whites, divided
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a 9"x9" pan with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar.
- On low, mix 1 egg into the butter mixture until completely combined. Then mix in the vanilla.
- Add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan. Chill until the meringue mixture is done.
- To make the meringue: Beat 2 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle 1 cup brown sugar (ensuring there are no clumps) over the whipped egg whites, and gently fold in until combined. Spread evenly over the cookie layer.
- Bake 28-33 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown (however, if it browns too quickly just cover it with a layer of parchment paper) and the cookie layer is cooked through. Let cool to room temperature before cutting (chill in the refrigerator for quicker cooling.) Peel away the foil carefully before cutting. Tip: Spray your knife with cooking spray before cutting. After each cut wipe away excess and spray the knife again.
Helloooooo crackly meringue top and gooey chocolate chip. Mmm.