Unleash your inner baker
Shortbread, Nanaimo bars and gingerbread torte sure to please,
There’s a lot of conjecture about the origins of this no-bake bar, but there is no doubt it is named after Nanaimo, B.C.
Makes: 24 bars
Base
❚ 125 mL (1/2 cup) butter, melted
❚ 50 mL (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
❚ 1 egg, beaten
❚ 75 mL (1/3 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
❚ 5 mL (1 tsp) vanilla extract
❚ 500 mL (2 cups) graham wafer crumbs (about 30 wafers)
❚ 250 mL (1 cup) shredded coconut
❚ 125 mL (1/2 cup) chopped walnuts
Filling
❚ 50 mL (1/4 cup) butter, softened
❚ 30 mL (2 tbsp) vanilla custard powder or vanilla instant pudding mix ❚ 30 mL (2 tbsp) milk (approx.)
❚ 500 mL (2 cups) icing sugar, sifted
Topping
❚ 4 squares (each 30 g/1 oz) unsweetened chocolate
❚ 15 mL (1 tbsp) butter
❚ Grease a 2.5-L (9-in.) square cake pan with butter. 1. Base: In a bowl, mix together melted butter, sugar, egg, cocoa and vanilla until blended. 2. In another bowl, mix together crumbs, coconut and walnuts. Add butter mixture and mix well. Press evenly into prepared pan. Chill for at least 1 hour. 3. Filling: In a separate bowl, cream butter. Beat in custard powder, milk and icing sugar until blended. If mixture is too thick, add a few drops more milk. Spread evenly over base and chill for 30 minutes or until firm. 4. Topping: In a saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Spread evenly over topping, then cut into bars. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.