Butterscotch Meringue Bars

Sent in to us by Emily Zinos of St. Paul, Minn., these bars bake up with a contrasting layered appearance. Here’s what we discovered:

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• Use the creaming method to develop structure and height in the bars: Beat the butter and sugar together before adding the liquid and dry ingredients.
• For the meringue layer, beat the egg whites until just glossy and stiff for the best-textured, lightest topping. Overbeating causes the whites to deflate and the top layer will be squat.
• The brown sugar needs to be firmly packed into the measuring cup for an accurate measure. Fill the correct dry measure with the brown sugar and use the next smallest cup to pack it.