Nanaimo Bars

"Nanaimo Bars (NBs for short) are one of Canada's favorite confections. The beautiful city of Nanaimo, British Columbia, has claimed these squares as their own, telling us on their website that it all began when a Nanaimo housewife entered a recipe for chocolate squares in a magazine contest some 35 years ago. She called her recipe 'Nanaimo Bars' and when she won the contest, not only did her dessert become popular throughout Canada, so did the town they were named after."

Nanaimo bars are a rich, delicious treat. They are a three-layered dessert, featuring a crumb base, with a middle layer of a light custard buttercream, and topped with a glorious layer of semi sweet chocolate. Best of all, they are a no-bake confection, which means you can save time, energy and money making these. There are many, many recipes out there for Nanaimo bars, but this one can be considered a basic "standard" recipe. Do try to use Bird's Custard Powder in these instead of vanilla pudding powder - there is a difference. You can order Bird's Custard Powder online; I was able to buy some through World Market's website. 

Since these are very rich, just a little square will do. However, if you've a major sweet tooth, you may just go through these pretty quickly!

Nanaimo Bars

Base:

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

¼ cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup sweetened or unsweetened coconut (shredded or flaked)

½ cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

Middle:

1 cup milk
¼ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. Bird's custard powder (or vanilla pudding powder)
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Top:

4 oz. semi sweet chocolate

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream

Butter or spray a 9 x 9" square pan with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the bottom layer, start by melting the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and cocoa powder. Gradually whisk in the beaten egg. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (about 1 - 2 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, graham cracker crumbs, coconut and the nuts. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (about 1 hour).

To make the filling, combine the milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan.  Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, beat on high speed until thick and pale yellow the sugar, Bird's custard powder, the egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Gradually pour about ¼ of the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Scrape the egg mixture back into the pan with the milk and cook over medium heat. Whisking constantly, cook until the mixture is thickened and begins to bubble. Continue to cook and whisk vigorously for another 1½ minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour everything over the prepared crust and put it in the refrigerator to cool completely and thicken; this may take a few hours.

To make the top layer, chop the chocolate into small pieces. Then, in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water (a double boiler), melt the chocolate and heavy cream. Stir well so the ganache is very smooth. Let the ganache cool to about 85 degrees before applying to the custard layer. Pour the ganache over the custard, gently spread it to the corners (this can be tricky), and put it back in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up slightly before serving. As a note, because this is a ganache topping, it will NEVER harden fully. This is normal, and will also ensure that you won't get any of the dreaded cracking when you slice the bars.

Makes about 25 squares

NOTE:  The picture featured here is of Nanaimo Bars NOT made using this particular recipe; I used a different one and encountered so many problems with it, that I did not want to share that one with you. This recipe shown here will ensure perfect results.