Nanaimo Bars

Nanaimo bars are all over the internet lately, so I thought I will give it a shot. It's a simple no-bake recipe. They originated in Canada. I would say that they are a Canadian Tiffin Bar, it's flavour instantly brings you back to your childhood.

I used BBC recipe for Nanaimo Bars and I will share it below, with only couple changes. As I was making them I thought of few major changes that I could make next time to make them more "gourmet", so keep your eyes peeled for Nanaimo Bars 2.0!

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Recipe is for 20x20 cm tin ( about 8 bars or 9 squares).

Ingredients :

BASE

200 g digestive biscuits

100 g desiccated coconut

50 g chopped almonds

125 g butter (room temperature)

50 g caster sugar

5 tbsp dark cocoa powder

1 egg (lightly beaten)

CUSTARD ICING

100 g butter (room temperature)

4 tbsp double cream

3 tbsp custard powder

250 g icing sugar

GANACHE

150 g dark chocolate (50-60%)

130 g double cream

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Line 20x20 cm glass or metal tin with parchment paper.

Method :

1. In a bowl, crush all digestive biscuits into fine pieces. Add coconut and chopped almonds.

2. Place butter, caster sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl. Put the bowl over a pot with small amount of water ("bain marie") and keep it over low heat to slowly melt the butter and other ingredients. Stir occasionally.

3. When it's fully melted, don't take it off the heat and whisk in the egg (pour it in slowly). Keep whisking for 3 minutes until it thickens.

4. Mix it with biscuits etc. until incorporated. Place it in your tray and press down with a spatula to create even layer. Cover the tray and place it in the fridge.

5. For the second layer, place the butter, cream and custard powder in a mixing bowl. Mix it with hand mixer until incorporated. Add half of the icing sugar and mix, then add the rest and mix everything until it's lighter in colour and fluffy.

6. Take out the tray and spread the custard icing on top of the biscuit base. Leave it in the fridge for another 20 minutes.

7. Cut the chocolate in small pieces. Place it in a bowl with the cream and place it over the pot with some water ("bain marie"), keep over low heat until chocolate melts. Don't stir it too often. When chocolate looks like it's melted, take it off the heat and stir with spatula until it's smooth. Let it cool down for few minutes.

8. Pour the chocolate ganache over the custard layer and chill in the fridge until it's set. When it's ready, dust it with cocoa powder (optional), take it out of the tray and cut into 8 bars or 9 squares.

Enjoy!