I mentioned Christmas baking on my Facebook FanPage, and everyone listed yummy things that they were going to be baking this year. I’ve made Nanaimo bars already, but not everyone south of the border knows what they are. So, here’s the recipe for all of you who are curious. These are classic and incredibly yummy.
They’re also no-bake. You put them together in layers.
Nanaimo Bars
Base:
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1 cup shredded cocoanut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Combine chocolate, butter, sugar, vanilla and egg. Mix well. Add graham cracker crumbs, cocoanut and walnuts. Press into 9″ square pan. Chill.
Filling:
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp custard powder
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
Combine butter, milk and custard powder. Blend in icing sugar. Spread over base. Chill at least 15 minutes.
Glaze:
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
1 tbsp butter
Partially melt chocolate with butter over hot water (in double boiler). Remove from heat, stir until melted. Spread over custard layer. Chill.
Store in fridge — for as long as they last!
Deborah Cooke: Author 
6 responses to “Nanaimo Bars”
For those of us who don’t speak Canadian, what is custard powder and where do I find it? And is icing sugar the same as powdered sugar?
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Pam – Actually, you need to speak Brit. Do you have a foreign foods aisle at your grocery? That’s where I find this – it’s with the canned plum pudding and the hard sauce and all that other British grocery stuff. It looks like a can of cocoa. Mine is called Harry Horne’s Vanilla Custard Powder – it contains corn starch, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour, potato starch, salt, artificial flavour and colour. I guess you’re supposed to make actual custard with it, not the filling for squares. If you can’t find it, I’ll send you some. 🙂
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Hmm Deb, I noticed you didn’t give the calorie count.
thanks for the yummy recipe
Deb
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Deb, the calorie count is information none of us need. These are sweet enough to stop your heart – but sooooooooo good. I cut them into small squares, so having two doesn’t seem so evil. 😉
d
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So really, custard powder has four thickeners in it, but no egg or milk. And apparently, it really makes a sauce, not a solid custard. Interesting how words change between geographical regions.
P.S. You can buy it on Amazon.com.
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My (ex) mother in law always used Birds Custard powder which I always thought was eggy but no! it was developed for someone who couldn’t eat eggs, hence all the thickeners!
I’m making Chocolate Truffles cookies along with the usual suspects like spice snaps and shortbread
T
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