Dals are a staple in the daily lives of millions of Indians worldwide because they are reassuring, filling, and nourishing. Red lentils and spinach in this specific dal cook quickly, don’t need to be presoaked, and are simple to put together with only a few ingredients. Add cooked basmati rice or naan to the dish.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 20 mins |
| Total Time: | 40 mins |
| Servings: | 24 |
| Yield: | 24 bars |
Ingredients
- 1 cup shortening
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar, divided
- 3 eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl; mix together shortening, white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and egg yolks. Stir in water and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Combine with egg and sugar mixture; blend well. Stir in chocolate chips. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1 cup brown sugar, continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. Spread meringue on top of base, covering completely.
- Bake in preheated oven until meringue has risen and light brown in color, about 15 to 20 minutes. Leave to cool before cutting into bars.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 259 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 35 g |
| Cholesterol | 23 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Sodium | 173 mg |
| Sugars | 25 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
This recipe is ridiculously good. I bring in items to work probably 2-3 times a week, and this has been praised as one of the best. A couple of tips: instead of stirring in the chocolate chips, press them into the cookie dough before spreading on the meringue. After spreading on the meringue, press parchment paper lightly onto the fluff so that it doesn’t brown too quickly. Carefully peel it off 2/3 of the way through baking and continue baking to allow the meringue to crisp and brown. Allow to set overnight so that the meringue softens slightly and becomes chewy and splendid. YUMMMMM
this was sooooo good! it took around 20-25 min to get completely cooked, but i just waited for the meringue to get a nice tan on it, and took it out. the edges were beginning to crack a bit, and it was puffed up in the middle. it was perfect. yes, the meringue cracked when it was cut into squares, but no one cared! this was fabulous!!! a new favourite.
This recipe has great potential, but I had a couple of problems with it. First of all, these bars had a very nice flavor, but needed a little salt! I did substitute unsweetened applesauce for 1/4 cup of shortening, but had problems with the bottom of the dessert being underbaked. It needed to be baked at least 10 minutes longer than the recipe stated. Also, the meringue looked beautiful and puffy as it baked, but when I took them out, it shrunk down and pulled away from the side, creating a rather ugly appearance. The one redeeming thing about this recipe is that it is tasty; like a giant chocolate chip cookie topped with meringue. With a few alterations, this could be outstanding!