nanaimo bars

I've been meaning to take a crack at nanaimo bars for some time now. A staple in the world of all things Canadian; in fact, voted Canada's Favorite Confection. It does seem to have a few stories about it's origin, but regardless of who, or when it was created, I think they are fantastic. I'm not talking mint, cheesecake or peanut butter nanaimo bars, but the OG. The only thing that stopped me in the past from making these was a need. Around these parts it seems every one already has a stack. Be it from M&M's, Superstore, Safeway, or wherever, these easily frozen treats are always waiting to be devoured and never needing to be made.

Trying to get a jump on Christmas season indulgences, I decided to attempt a batch before the homestead was stocked up. Now, there seems to be some trouble making nanaimo bars around the interwebs. Bars with disproportionate sections and a custard center that never sets properly are two of the most common problems. With a bit of research, I narrowed my choice of recipes to this. Did it work. YES!! Perfect I think in every way. A great base, and an amazingly sweet center all covered up by a mixture of milk and semi-sweet chocolate. Delicious. Your tummy and ass will love you.

Nanaimo Bars
Ingredients:

Base
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)

Filling
1/3 cup butter (room temperature)
3 tbls custard powder
1/4 cup milk
3 cups powdered sugar

Topping
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 ounces milk chocolate
2 tbls butter

The Plan:

For the Base
1. Melt the butter in a sauce pan.
2. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder until smooth.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.
4. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and walnuts.
5. Press into a lubed 8 inch square pan and chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

For the Filling
1. Cream the butter.
2. Beat in the custard powder and milk.
3. Beat in the sugar.
4. Spread over the the base layer and chill in the fridge until it sets.

For the Top
1. Melt the chocolate and butter and stir until smooth.
2. Spread over the filling layer and chill in a fridge for 10 minutes.
3. Draw lines in the chocolate, so you can easily cut later.
4. With a warm knife, cut into pieces and store in the fridge or freezer