1 cup shortening (Crisco, margarine, or butter)
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten (save whites for topping)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp water
2 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 (12-oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and water; blend well. Sift flour three times with salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well (dough will be stiff). Spread into a greased baking pan (the recipe calls for 10x14"; I recommend the next size down, is it 9x13"?). Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Beat together 2 egg whites and 1 cup brown sugar. Spread over chips. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
Modifications for the topping:
Beat together 2 egg whites with 1 cup white sugar. The topping is supposed to be a meringue, so I added some cream of tartar to help it form peaks. I sprinkled it in bit by bit until it did it's job. The topping on Halfway Cookies is supposed to be light brown, and mine was white, so I added a little bourbon...you know, for coloring. If I use white sugar again I will cut it back to at least 3/4 cup, because while the topping was absolutely delicious, it was a little gooey and difficult to pour over the chips.
I always use unsalted butter when I bake these. I don't recommend mini-chips...I tried them once and they sort of melted together into a big chocolate layer, rather than having individual chips melt in your mouth.
