Source: How to make perfect nanaimo bars
Nanaimo Bars
Servings 16 bars
Ingredients
Base
- 75 g wallnuts
- 75 g desicated coconut
- 225 g rich tea biscuits
- 100 g butter
- 50 g sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 1 egg beaten
Custard
- 80 g butter room temperature
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 160 g icing sugar sifted
- 3 tbsp custard powder
- 2 tbsp milk
Topping
- 120 g dark chocolate 70%
- 2 tbsp butter
- nutmeg grated
Instructions
- Heat the walnuts in a dry pan over a medium flame, shaking occasionally, until you can smell them toasting. Tip out and leave to cool slightly. In the same pan, toast the coconut until it’s apricot-coloured, then tip out likewise. Use a food processor (or the end of rolling pin and a plastic bag) to smash the biscuits into uneven crumbs; a few larger chunks are fine. Roughly grind the nuts in a food processor or mortar, again leaving several large chunks and being careful not to overprocess and turn them into butter.
- Put the butter, salt and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Meanwhile, put the biscuit crumbs, nuts and coconut in a large bowl, and line a roughly 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper (scrunch it up first to help ease it into the corners and sides).
- Stir the cocoa and a pinch of salt into the butter and sugar bowl, then add the egg and stir until the mix thickens slightly (you may need to whisk it). Off the heat, combine with the biscuit, nut and coconut mixture and, once that’s all coated, tip it into the lined tin and pat down firmly into an even, flat layer. Cover and freeze for 10 minutes (or chill for 30), until firm.
- Meanwhile, put the butter and salt for the custard layer in a large bowl or stand mixer and beat until soft. Sift over the icing sugar, then beat in until the mixture is really soft and airy. In a small bowl, stir the custard powder and milk until the powder dissolves, then beat this, and a pinch of salt, if necessary, into the custard mixture. Using a spatula or similar, spread this on top of the now chilled and firm biscuit base, taking care not to get too many crumbs into the custard, then cover and chill again for at least an hour, until really firm.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, and grate in the nutmeg, if using. Take off the heat, leave to cool slightly, then tip on top of the butter layer and tilt the tin so the chocolate spreads evenly. Bang the tin against a counter to settle the chocolate layer, then cover and return to the fridge. After about 20 minutes, once the chocolate has begun to set, but is still tacky, score into bars or squares, then return to the fridge to set solid.
- To cut, lift out of the tin (use the paper lining to help you), then slice – to make life easier, use a knife dipped into hot water and quickly wiped dry. Covered, the nanaimo bars will keep well in the fridge for up to five days, and can also be wrapped and frozen.
