Cooking with Catherine: Nanaimo Bars

Nanaimo Bars (pronounced nah-nigh-moe) are a sweet, traditional Canadian cookie bar whose origins are thought to be from Nanaimo, British Columbia. Since Catherine is heading to Canada in just a few short weeks, we thought we would highlight a delightful recipe that is unique to Canada.

As Kate will be visiting British Columbia and Yukon as part of her family’s travel plans, we’re sure she’s going to take advantage of the fresh fish that practically swim up to restaurants doors. But will Kate indulge herself and stray from her healthy dietary plan – – like we all do when we’re on vacation? If she does, this is one sweet treat that deserves a “cheat!”

This recipe can be found on whatscooking.net, but we’ve set it forth here for you to use, along with some commentary as we prepared the bars:

Nanaimo Bar Recipe

Yields: 1 (8-inch by 8-inch) pan
Prep time: 30 min
Prepare exactly in the following order…

Bottom Layer – Crust Base

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 cups graham cracker/wafer crumbs
1/2 cup finely-chopped almonds or pecans
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Custard Filling – Second Layer:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder (Bird’s Custard Powder is preferred and is available on Amazon.com if you don’t live in Canada, but we used Jello instant vanilla pudding powder in this recipe as a substitute).
2 cups powdered (confectioners’ sugar)
Chocolate Topping – Top Layer:
4 squares (1 ounce each) semi-sweet chocolate or 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation of Nanaimo Bars:

Line an 8-inch by 8-inch square baking dish or pan with either plastic wrap or aluminum foil. The original recipe does not call for lining the pan, but this makes for a neater and easier removal of the finished bars. As per my late grandmother’s advice, I always use Crisco instead of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Using Crisco to line the baking dish.

Bottom Layer – Crust Base:

Place the beaten egg in a small bowl; set aside.
In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, sugar, and cocoa. Whisk a small amount of the hot melted mixture into the egg. Return the egg mixture to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir until mixture reaches 160 degrees F. on your cooking thermometer and begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the graham cracker crumbs, almond or pecans, and coconut.
Press the cracker mixture firmly into the prepared baking dish or pan (as you can see below I pressed using aluminum foil). Set aside.

Bottom layer mixed.

Using foil to press the bottom layer into the baking dish.

Custard Filling – Second Layer:

In a large bowl with your electric mixer, cream together the butter, cream, custard powder, and powdered sugar until well blended. Spread over the Crust Base. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes or until set.

Middle layer mixed.

Spreading the second layer over the bottom layer.

Bottom and second layer complete.

Chocolate Topping – Top Layer:

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt together the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and pour the chocolate mixture over the chilled Custard Filling. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until set. Cut into small squares and enjoy!