"The Windy City is famous for many things-hot dogs "dragged through the garden," Portillo's iconic chocolate cake, pizza as deep as lasagna-but perhaps my favorite of the bunch is Chicago-style popcorn. The kooky blend of cheddar and caramel corn is a Midwest staple, popularized by Garrett Popcorn and embraced for its perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. Growing up in the Chicagoland area, I looked forward to the annual tin, unhinging my jaw as wide as possible while scarfing it down by the fistful."
"I like to use an extra-sharp aged cheddar, which strikes the right balance between color and flavor, but any bright orange brick will do. BAKER'S NOTE: Bake your streusel and shortbread base past the point of the usual golden brown. They should be deep in color, almost burnt orange. The long baking time intensifies the cheese flavor, giving the streusel and shortbread a frico-like flavor reminiscent of a Cheez-It Extra Toasty cracker or the crispy skirt that forms on a grilled cheese."
Chicago-style popcorn pairs sharp orange cheddar with sweet caramel corn for a distinctive sweet-savory contrast. These bars translate that combo into a layered treat: a savory cheddar shortbread base, a thick chewy caramel middle, and a crumble of cheddar shortbread mixed with puffed caramel corn on top. Bright orange, extra-sharp cheddar delivers strong color and intensified flavor in the shortbread. Baking the streusel and base until deeply colored — almost burnt orange — develops frico-like, extra-toasty savory notes. The result balances crisp, chewy, sweet, and savory textures for a festive, unexpected holiday cookie-bar.
Read at Epicurious
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