Has anyone made Nanaimo Bars? I'm going to make some for the first time. Looking for tips.

No coaching necessary. These are really straightforward. In the photo, the topping

of chocolate looks quite thick. It is normally fairly thin.

And the bottom layer, is, I believe, normally made with walnuts, not almonds.

I'm betting that the original recipe used only icing sugar in the middle. Be sure to pack your toothbrush.

It's fun to see the cruise ship passengers here, at the pastry counter of the closest supermarket, buying boxes of Nanaimo bars. They are good.

I'm not sure it it still exists but several years ago, one of the major manufacturers (Robin Hood/General Mills, whoever makes boxed cake preparations) produced a boxed preparation that was pretty good. Really...yours will be fine.

 
I haven't tried this variation, but Alice Medrich is dependable. Note the differences

(the posting at the link gives a pretty clear explanation of what she has changed)...especially replacing the custard with a creamcheese base.

I have a container of Bird's Custard and while it's definitely useable, once you've made real pastry cream, it's just not the same.

http://www.sevenspoons.net/blog/2011/2/7/geography.html

 
Maya's No-No Nanaimo Bars (from Alice Medrich)

Named after the city in British Columbia, the traditional Nanaimo bar is a no-bake layered affair with a crumb crust and layers of sweet vanilla filling crowned with chocolate. These here — with a coconut pecan crust, vanilla cream cheese filling, and dark chocolate ganache — are for people who like the idea of the Nanaimo bar but wish it were different: less sweet, more grown-up, a bit modern. Oh, and these are baked. Thus, no claims to authenticity…only a very good bar created by a very good friend, Portland food maven Maya Klein.


Excerpted from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich (Artisan Books, 2010).

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (5 ounces) chocolate cookie crumbs (from 9 chocolate graham crackers)
1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) unsweetened dried shredded coconut
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely chopped pecans
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4.375 ounces) granulated sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons (0.875 ounce) packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
7 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate with 55% to 60% cacao

Equipment
A 9-inch square metal baking pan, the bottom and all 4 sides lined with foil

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix the crumbs, coconut, pecans, butter, and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and pat it very firmly into the lined pan. Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it looks slightly darker at the edges and smells toasted.

While the crust is baking, mix the filling. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of the remaining granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and then the egg. When the crust is baked, dollop the filling onto the hot crust and spread gently with the back of a spoon. Bake the bars until the edges are slightly puffed, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Dissolve the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in the cream. Bring 1/2 inch water to a simmer in a medium skillet. Coarsely chop the chocolate and combine with the cream in a medium metal bowl. Place the bowl directly in the skillet of hot water and turn off the heat. Let rest for 5 minutes and whisk until smooth. Set aside until needed.

Pour the warm ganache onto the bars, spread, and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Lift the bars out of the pan by using the edges of the foil liner. Cut into 16 or 25 squares, wiping the knife between cuts. May be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Makes 16 large (2 1/4—inch) bars or 25 smaller bars.

 
Gisene Bullock Prado's "Pastry Cream"

INGREDIENTS


1 pint whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean seeds scraped out,
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ounce cornstarch
3 ounces granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces unsalted butter

-in a mixing bowl, combine eggs, cornstarch, vanilla beans & extract and sugar and whip on high with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy.

-in the meantime, bring your milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

-turn the mixer to low and slowly add the boiling milk. Whisk on high until fully incorporated and then transfer the whole mess back to the saucepan and return to the burner.

-place over medium heat and whisk briskly and constantly until the mixture boils and thickens. Take from heat, add butter and whisk until it's completely incorporated.

-pour the custard in a bowl and immediately place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool before using.

http://confectionsofamasterbaker.blogspot.com/2008/07/why-im-not-vegan-recipe-for-pastry.html

 
There was another "local favorite" that I enjoyed while in Tofino. Slightly less sweet

than the Nanaimo. Now I can't remember the name for the life of me. It was very good: same concept...cookie, cream, chocolate...but less sweet.

 
Yeah, I know the joys of pastry cream. I make it for fruit tarts and there's no comparison.

The reason I'm going with the Bird's Custard Powder is because I'm making these for my son's basketball coach. He's Canadian, and he loves these bars. He hasn't had them in years, and I want to make them like he remembers.

I am trying to get to the recipe that most Canadian Moms would use, so I figured I'd nix the homemade pastry cream for the custard made with the powder. I know what you mean, though. I'm cringing too.

Thanks Marilyn,

Michael

 
Thanks for the info, Marg. I'm going to continue looking for the recipe that is...

...the most common in Canada.

I'm making them for my son's basketball coach, who happens to be a Canadian. He remembers these bars fondly, but hasn't had them in years. I want them to taste like his Canadian Mom made them.

Thanks again,

Michael

 
Here was the decription of my NOT Nanaimo bar from back then:

This one has a chocolate layer bottom, topped with a chocolate truffle layer, then glazed with a thin, firm coat of chocolate/white swirled glaze. It is cut into squares or rectangles and then refrigerated. At room temperature, the middle layer is very soft.

Michelle in Canada had also tasted these and she thought they might be called "truffle bars".

GayR and Marg both posted recipes then, but none seemed exactly correct .

 
This would be it. I remember these came on the scene about 55 years ago. They were such a treat.

I must admit to having already bought a tray of them here, just for me, just because they are so abundant here, so in-your-face. They are difficult to resist.

There are lots of variations, my favourite being mint.

Good thing I'm not going shopping today. As I said, they're tough to resist. And now I'm curious to know if the boxed mix still exists.

typically the top is a smooth thin chocolate layer that cracks when you bite into it.

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/nanaimo_bars.php

 
As a Nanaimo native, I'll proclaim myself the Nanaimo bar expert....

The Canadian Living recipe is indeed the most authentic, using walnuts and Bird's custard powder. Bird's was a staple in most of our houses, since a large percentage of Nanaimo-ites had British roots (our grandparents emigrated to work in the coal mines). Although there are now many variations, during the 60's and 70's, everyone made nanaimo bars the same way.My mother didn't make them too often - my best friend's family owned a bakery renowned to make the best so they were easily accessible.

By the mid-eighties when the 'ultimate Nanaimo bar contest' was held, the bar slice had morfed into the tasteless and sickly version that was being mass produced by Costco.

 
Being first generation Scottish, I'll never forget my Scottish Grandmother's never ending

mid-day servings of Bird's instant custard while I was a kid visiting in Scotland. It was pink. I liked it but then, it seemed bland after a while when perhaps I developed taste buds? LOL

Yes, it was certainly a British staple and especially back in the 60's as I remember.

http://www.birdscustard.co.uk/range/custard-powder-and-instant/

 
Yeah, except the recipe is not authentic, at least according to some militant Canadians...

...on various websites. They swear up and down that the base is not baked, the milk should be cream, the butter should be Euro butter, etc.

It's actually funny to see how hot these folks get over this recipe.

Must be delicious...

Michael

 
Original Canadian Nanaimo Bar Recipe

BASIC NANAIMO BARS

use your imagination to flavour the filling....

Base:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
5 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Filling:
1/3 cup butter
3 Tbsp custard powder
1/4 cup milk
3 cups icing sugar

Topping:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 Tbsp butter

Base: melt butter in heavy saucepan. Stir in sugar and cocoa until smooth. Whisk egg w/vanilla and stir into butter mixture. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press evenly over bottom of greased 9" square pan. Chilluntil set, at least 20 min.

Filling: Beat butter with wooden spoon until light. Beat in custard powder and milk. Gradually beat in sugar. Spread over chilled base and let set in fridge.

Topping: Melt together chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Spread in even layer over chilled filling. Score topping into bars.

Chill until set.

Store in fridge.

Makes 36, 164 cal, 10 g fat, 1.5 g prot

 
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