Earlier this year, I attended a Pacific Northwest cooking class at The Institute of Culinary Eduation in NYC. D is from Seattle so I wanted to learn how to make some of the foods he loved growing up. We learned how to make cedar-planked salmon, venison, butternut squash soup and fire-roasted oysters, among other things. Nanaimo Bars were one of my favorite dishes we learned how to make, and, interestingly, D had never heard of them before! Nanaimo Bars are a no-bake three-layer cookie bar with origins in Vancouver. You can learn more about Nanaimo Bars on its very on Wikipedia page. This dessert is extremely rich, so even though the yield is a small 8″x8″ pan, you can easily make 60+ bars from one pan because a serving size is so small. Below is my recipe adapted from the ICE Pacific Northwest Cooking Class. Enjoy!
Nanaimo Bars
Adapted from ICE Recipe
Bottom Layer:
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 egg, beaten
1 3/4 cup graham crackers, crumbled (measured after crumbling)
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup dried unsweetened coconut
Directions
1. Melt butter, sugar and cocoa powder in a double boiler.
2. Add beaten egg and stir to cook and thicken. When mixed, remove pan from heat.
3. Stir in graham cracker crumbs, almonds and coconut.
4. Press firmly into an ungreased 8″x8″ pan.
Middle Layer:
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp heavy cream
2 tbsp vanilla custard powder (such as Birds, or substitute instant vanilla pudding powder)
2 cups powdered sugar
Directions
1. Cream butter, heavy cream, custard powder and powdered sugar together well. Beat until light.
2. Spread over bottom layer.
Top Layer:
Ingredients
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
4 tbsp unsalted butter
Directions
1. Melt chocolate and butter over low heat in a double boiler.
2. COOL. (Don’t skip this step or the top layer will melt into the bottom layers.)
3. When cool, but still liquid, pour over middle layer.
4. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve cold or slightly cooler than room temperature.
Sweet Southern Comfort 
amazing. I shall have to read up on these – I’ve never heard of or had them before.
Thanks Frugal Feeding! Let me know what you think when you make them. 🙂