Heath Bar Dessert

Chopped up Heath Bars are the star of this stellar dessert.

3 hours (including rest time)

Serves: 9-12

Medium

A classic meringue is taken to a whole new level with whipped cream and chopped up Heath Bars. A fairly easy but very impressive dessert.

Ok, this Heath Bar dessert is a real TREAT! The only real tricky part of this recipe is the meringue, so if you’re familiar with the process of making that, this is a fairly simple recipe that looks very impressive and tastes even better! This is a recipe from Grandma’s recipe box and therefore is a few years old. Because of this, Grandma’s recipe notes to use 12 Heath Bars. This was written from back when Heath Bars came two small bars to a pack. Unfortunately, I didn’t think of that until after I bought (and used!) 12 of the full size bars. So, important note, the modern version of this recipe would call for SIX Heath Bars. We still ate it though, and it was awesome!

If this is your first time making a meringue, here are some helpful tips. First, start with room temperature eggs. If your eggs are straight from the fridge and you don’t have time to wait, simply put them in a bowl of warm water while you preheat the over and prep your baking tray. Next, separate the egg whites and yolks. (You can save the yolks for crème brûlée.) Be sure there are NO yolks in the white and that the bowl the whites go into is VERY clean. Any fat or grease will prevent the egg whites to whip properly. Start whipping the egg whites and it will get very frothy and strong, forming soft peaks. Once this happens, it’s time to add your sugar. I just let the mixer keep going and add in the sugar by the tablespoon full. Next, add your vanilla and keep whipping until you get VERY stiff peaks.

Really, the only tricky part of the recipe is making and baking the meringue. After that, it’s simple assembly. Which, with the correct amount of Heath Bars, should be pretty easy. No matter what, the dessert looks pretty impressive when it’s finished. Grandma says she always filled in the sides with whipped cream but there is some disagreement there. Personally, I like being able to see the layers. It’s taste just a good either way – that’s for sure!

If you make this dessert, be sure to leave a review or post a picture of it below!

Steps:

Prep Your Tray
Take a cookie sheet and line it with parchment paper. Give it a very light coating with cooking spray to help remove the paper later.
Preheat Oven to 300º
Whip the egg whites
Add the room temperature egg white to your mixing bowl and whisk by hand (ugh!) or with a handheld or stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk until the egg whites are very white and frothy.
Add Sugar
Now begin to add the sugar gradually. I generally add it by a tablespoon at a time. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Keep beating until you have stiff peaks. You'll know you have stiff peaks when you can hold the bowl over your head and nothing falls out.
Spread Onto Sheet
Now spread the meringue over the cookie sheet. Avoid going all the way to the edge if possible and be careful to avoid trapping any air bubbles.
Bake for 40-45 Minutes
Put the tray into the preheated over and bake for 40-45 minutes. I like to cool my meringues gradually so when the time is up and it's baked, just turn off the oven and open the oven door for about 5 minutes or so. Then take it out of the oven and cut in half. (This is where lined parchment paper comes in handy!)
Chop Heath Bars
While the meringue is baking, chop your Heath Bars. I separated mine into two separate bowls so I was sure to have to equal halves.
Make the Whipped Cream
Once the meringue is cooled, make the whip cream. Pour your heavy cream in a chilled, metal bowl and whisk (either by hand or by hand/stand mixer with the whisk attachment). Once the cream has been whipped, add the remaining teaspoon of vanilla.
Assemble and Chill
Now assemble the dessert. Start with one half of the meringue. Top with half the whipped cream followed by half of the heath bars. Next, place the other half of the meringue followed by the remaining whipped cream and heath bars. Chill for several hours before serving.