Redfield Recipes: Nanaimo Bars

Nanaimo Bars

Dad's recipe, further origin unknown

Bottom layer
¹/₂	cup	butter or margarine
¹/₄	cup	sugar
5	Tb	cocoa
1	tsp	vanilla
1	egg, beaten
1²/₃	cups	graham cracker crumbs
¹/₃-¹/₂	cup	chopped walnuts
⁵/₆	cup	coconut (roughly 3.5 ounces)
Middle layer
¹/₄	cup	creamed butter
1¹/₂	Tb	milk
2	Tb	custard powder (vanilla pudding powder also works)
2	cups	icing sugar
Top layer
4	oz	semi-sweet chocolate
1	Tb	butter

Bottom Layer

Melt butter, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and egg in a bowl over hot water (or in a double boiler), stirring constantly, until it forms a custard. Add graham cracker crumbs, walnuts, and coconut. Press into bottom of greased 9x9 pan. (Wax paper between your hands and the mixture simplifies this process considerably.)

Middle Layer

Cream butter, then add remaining ingredients. When smooth, spread on bottom layer and let stand to harden. (I find putting it in the fridge for a little while helps.)

Top Layer

Melt chocolate and butter together, then spread on the middle layer (quickly, so the filling doesn't start to melt). Score if desired, and let cool/harden. Cut into bars. (I usually put the pan in the fridge for 5 minutes to set the chocolate a little. Since they're very rich, I take it out and score the chocolate into smallish pieces about 1 to 1¹/₂ inches across. Then I put it back into the fridge to harden.)

They taste better at room temperature, but are good cold.