I may have mentioned before that the best thing about baking/cooking for me is when I get to do it for the enjoyment of others. Such was the case this past weekend. A friend of ours was celebrating a milestone birthday (I won’t say which one) and I wanted to bring something along for everyone to enjoy. With the string of hot days we’ve had around here, something from the oven didn’t sound too appealing. It needed to be something that could be done with a minimal amount of heat.
I seemed to recall a no-bake, minimal cook recipe I had read about in the past. Then I recalled that our friend had mentioned recently that her favorite dessert was Nanaimo Bars. Our friend proudly hails from Canada, and from what I’ve heard, Nanaimo Bars are a pretty big deal for Canadians, so much so that they even enjoy the distinction of being kind of an ‘official’ dessert of Canada. I knew of these bars, but I had never had, much less made one before. So, I hit the web to see what I could find.
What I discovered was that there are about as many recipes for Nanaimo Bars as there are Canadian bakers. Everyone seems to have their version of this recipe, but they seem to come down to a few key factors (Canadians, please feel free to correct me if I get any of this wrong). Nanaimo Bars (named after the city in Canada where they were invented) are a bar dessert consisting of 3 layers. Layer 1 is a base of graham crackers, coconut, some kind of nut, butter and chocolate. Layer 2 consists of a kind of sweet custard/frosting that can apparently be made with a number of different flavors and/or colors – the key to this layer, apparently, is custard powder, something I’ve never seen before. Layer 3, the top layer, is a simple layer of melted chocolate or even a ganache.
Preparation is fairly simple. Some stove work is needed, but it’s minimal, so this is a nice dessert to prepare in the heat of the summer. Since I’m not much of a coconut fan, I decided to use my food processor to not only crush the graham crackers, but to cut the coconut down to tiny little pieces – the flavor was still there, but those somewhat difficult to chew shreds of coconut were easier for my mouth to deal with.
The results were great. The recipe called for a 9 inch x 9 inch pan, but I was cooking for a group, so I doubled the recipe and used a 9 inch x 13 inch pan. Since doubling a recipe designed for 9×9 is more than what you would get for a 9×13 pan, my bars turned out a little thicker than they would have been, but no one complained. In fact, everyone raved about them. The birthday girl, gave an official Canadian thumbs up. I asked if they were ‘authentic’. She said they were close. What did she notice was different? Well, remember that custard powder I mentioned? I didn’t have any, so the recipe suggested that I could substitute vanilla pudding mix instead. You know what? She could tell the difference. I don’t know how much difference this custard powder makes, but I guess I’m going to have to try it for myself sometime.
If you’d like to try this recipe yourself, I’ve posted it here. Thanks to the good folks over at Joy of Baking for another great recipe.
hehehe….ever read “Tartlette” ? She just had a post quite similar to a nanaimo, but not quite- these are the BEST and I HOPE you used bird’s custard powder! You can find it at most grocery stores now, or of course an international market or specialty English store. The powder actually hailes from GB- NOT canada! As for the other fillings- mint we’ve called “midnight mint bars” and a another fav is almond. I do not use nuts in my crust as I’m allergic and they are still so good. GEez… the crust along I could eat by the handful! Yes, I am canadian, but, GASP, I would claim american citizenship over canadian. My family lives in PDX and have complained about the weather too! For your sake, I hope it cools down!
Sarah – I read the same post on Tartlette’s site, and even suggested a name for those bars myself (didn’t win though). Amazing how very serious Canadians and ex-pat Canadians are about Nanaimo Bars! As for the Bird’s, I haven’t found any yet, but a friend is looking for me. And yes, the weather has finally cooled down for the moment. Thanks for stopping by today!
OMG- did you REALLY use vanilla pudding powder!? YIKES! PLEASE don’t do that one ever again!!!!!!! holy cow… so this is the powder I use- I really like the flavor so I use a LOT- like a 1/2 cup- and it turns this vibrant cheery yellow color- really look for it in the baking aisle or the international aisle of your next shopping trip anywhere- TONS of places carry it down here. Albertson’s included!
ALSO- I noticed you have a toddler daughter- ME TOO! Check out this link for something WAY fun to do with her!
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku5393145/index.cfm?pkey=cbaking%2Ddecorating
there are also some pics posted from my adventures with them!
Yes, I did use the vanilla pudding, and yes, my Canadian friend could actually tell it wasn’t the Custard Powder! This stuff must be something special. I’ll check my local Albertson’s and see if they carry it – I looked at the product you linked, and I know I haven’t seen that canister before. Thanks for the heads-up on the powder and the cutters – those look like something my daughter would enjoy!
These look so delicious! What a fun recipe, I haven’t seen these before :D.
We’d like to invite you to participate in our September apple and peach recipe contest (the recipe can be sweet or savory). All competitors will be eligible to win one of three prizes :)! Please email me, sophiekiblogger@gmail.com, if you’re interested.
Feel free to check out our blog for more details: http://blog.keyingredient.com/2008/08/29/september-kick-contest/
Thanks :),
Sophie
KI Chief Blogger
Looks delicious Erik! And I will gladly share the recipe for my nectarine coulis. It’s so simple it’s almost embarrassing.
Arika
My Yummy Life