These always go quickly when I bring them into the office. They’re super sweet, melty morsels with a chewy base. Great with a glass of milk; they are a true Canadian classic.

Nanaimo Bars

(Makes 16 squares, more if you cut them smaller)

Bottom Layer

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg beaten
1-1/2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped cashews (use whatever nut you like though)
1 cup finely shredded coconut

Middle Layer

1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon 35% cream
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar

Top Layer

one entire bar of dark chocolate, 225g (I used Nestlé Noir, the “intense” 70% cocoa version)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Melt first four ingredients of bottom layer in top of double boiler.
2. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an 8″ x 8″ pan with clear wrap laid on the bottom. Chill while you prepare the middle layer.

Middle Layer

1. Using an electric mixer, cream all ingredients together, beating well until light in colour.
2. Spread evenly over chilled bottom layer. Place back into fridge to chill while top is being prepared.

Top Layer

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over a double boiler.
2. Cool slightly – the chocolate should still be pourable.
3. Spread gently over second layer so as not to mix the two layers together. I find tapping gets a smoother layer. Refrigerate until set.

Cut into bite sized portions with a hot knife. Some people cut HUGE portions, but I prefer little bites. I find the bars extremely rich and almost too much to handle.

In this layer: cocoa, butter and chopped cashews. I’ve made them with pecans and hazelnuts. Cashews are my favourite.

It’s hard to get homemade custard to the right consistency in Nanaimo bars, so you pretty much have to use “Bird’s Custard”. I find it sickeningly sweet, even when you cut back on the powdered sugar required. In fact, I would say I don’t even really like Nanaimo bars. Can you believe it?

This is my favourite way to cut Nanaimo bars. They are incredibly messy, so before I start to lay down my layers, I put down clear wrap in the base. Then, when the layers have solidified, you pop out the sheet of Nanaimo and cut on the plastic. The chocolate is contained!