Call us "behind the times" but I only heard about them today!
Then I look on the Internet and Whoa! Which one of these zillion recipes is the
best to use?
My wife has a neighborhood Deli and today one of our customers told us about
these. She had recently been to Canada and I guess they are quite popular
there.
So - can anyone suggest the best recipe or approach?
Thank you very much!
Jesse and Sally

(Omcha) wrote in message ...
Call us "behind the times" but I only heard about them today!
Then I look on the Internet and Whoa! Which one of these zillion recipes is the
best to use?
My wife has a neighborhood Deli and today one of our customers told us about
these. She had recently been to Canada and I guess they are quite popular
there.
So - can anyone suggest the best recipe or approach?
Thank you very much!
Jesse and Sally
==================================
This came from somebody in Canada via the net several years ago.
Either rec.food.cooking or alt.support.depression it's good for
either! (Nanaimo is an island up by British Columbia, I think.)

Lynn from Fargo, North Dakota
muy circa Canada eh?

Nanaimo Bars..

Bottom Layer

1/2C unsalted butter
1/4C sugar
5 tsp. cocoa powder
1 egg, beaten
1 3/4C graham cracker crumbs
1/2C finely chopped nuts..almonds, walnuts, your choice..
1C finely chopped coconut

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg, stir &
cook until thickens. Remove from the heat..stir mixture into crumb
mixture..when moistened, press firmly into un greased 8X8 pan. Put in
fridge to chill.

Second layer-

1/2C unsalted butter
2 tbsp & 2 tsp. heavy cream
2 tbsp. instant vanilla pudding
2C powdered sugar

Cream all together well. spread over the chilled crumb base. Note:
this makes a thin layer of filling.. You may increase it by 1/3 or 1/4
to make a thicker layer.

Top Layer

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat or in top of double boiler,
stirring to combine. When melted, remove from heat and allow to cool
for a few minutes..when cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer
and chill. This also makes a thin layer..and may be increased for a
thicker layer of chocolate.

Note: It is *very* important the second layer is really cold before
you add the melted chocolate. Let the second layer chill for at least
2 or 3 hours.

After you get the chocolate on, chill for about 30-40 minutes and
then score with a sharp knife. It's not necessary to cut all the way
through all 3 layers..just score the chocolate into serving sized
pieces. If you wait until the chocolate is "hard set", cutting them is
difficult and they squish.

(Lynn Gifford) wrote in
om:

This came from somebody in Canada via the net several years ago.
Either rec.food.cooking or alt.support.depression it's good for
either! (Nanaimo is an island up by British Columbia, I think.)

Lynn from Fargo, North Dakota
muy circa Canada eh?


Nanaimo is a city/town in B.C.
....the Nanaimo bars are the same as a bar called the "New York slice".

-a Canadian.

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food
and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

On 28 Apr 2004 22:37:13 -0700, (Lynn Gifford) wrote:



Second layer-

1/2C unsalted butter
2 tbsp & 2 tsp. heavy cream
2 tbsp. instant vanilla pudding
2C powdered sugar

Why instant vanilla pudding and not Bird's Custard Powder? Bird's can
usually be found in the UK section of supermarkets.

MareCat wrote in
:



Why instant vanilla pudding and not Bird's Custard Powder? Bird's can
usually be found in the UK section of supermarkets.

Here's a version using Bird's...much the same asLynn's recipe, but a few
differences.

And of course, there's the classic joke.

Q: What's in a Nanaimo Bar?
A: Strippers and drunks.

Jason

In the meantime here is the Nanaimo Bar recipe from the Vancouver Sun's
Newspaper Edith Adams cookbook. I make them and think they are the best!
;-) They are the typical ones in these parts. The best! ;-) My recipe book
is old and tattered but still legible *G*

NANAIMO BARS

BASE
1/2 cup butter or margerine
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
4 Tbsp. cocoa
2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1 cup fine or med. coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix the 1/2 c. butter , white granulated sugar and egg and cocoa together.
Set over boiling water (double boiler pan set good choice) and stir until
mixture resembles a custard.
Combine crumbs, coconut and nuts. Combine with the warm chocolate custard
mixture, blending well.
Spread and press tightly into a 9 x9 inch pan.


FILLING
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp vanilla custard powder or pudding powder (I use Bird's Custard
Powder)
2 cups sifted icing sugar

Cream the 1/4 cup butter, milk, custard powder and icing sugar. Spread
smoothly over mixture in pan.

GLAZE
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
1 tsp butter

Melt the chocolate over hot water: add butter and blend well. Spread over
the icing filling. Let set. Nice in refrigerator as Chocolate gets crunchy
hard when chilled

Omcha wrote:

Call us "behind the times" but I only heard about them today!
Then I look on the Internet and Whoa! Which one of these zillion recipes is the
best to use?
My wife has a neighborhood Deli and today one of our customers told us about
these. She had recently been to Canada and I guess they are quite popular
there.

They are indeed popular, and the sad thing is that most people buy them and you
just can't buy good Nanaimo Bars. I have tried them from a number of different
bakeries and food outlets and they all suck compared to the real thing. My mother
used to make them when I was a kid. One thing I learned a long time ago is that one
is not enough and two is too many.

The other great Canadian sweet treat is Butter Tarts.

Hey Jason:
I could not find any info on this cookbook. Can you confirm the title /
author?
Thanks, Aileen in Nova Scotia

Jason Tinling wrote:

MareCat wrote in
:



Why instant vanilla pudding and not Bird's Custard Powder? Bird's can
usually be found in the UK section of supermarkets.


Here's a version using Bird's...much the same asLynn's recipe, but a few
differences.

And of course, there's the classic joke.

Q: What's in a Nanaimo Bar?
A: Strippers and drunks.

Jason

In the meantime here is the Nanaimo Bar recipe from the Vancouver Sun's
Newspaper Edith Adams cookbook. I make them and think they are the best!
;-) They are the typical ones in these parts. The best! ;-) My recipe book
is old and tattered but still legible *G*

NANAIMO BARS

BASE
1/2 cup butter or margerine
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
4 Tbsp. cocoa
2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1 cup fine or med. coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix the 1/2 c. butter , white granulated sugar and egg and cocoa together.
Set over boiling water (double boiler pan set good choice) and stir until
mixture resembles a custard.
Combine crumbs, coconut and nuts. Combine with the warm chocolate custard
mixture, blending well.
Spread and press tightly into a 9 x9 inch pan.


FILLING
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp vanilla custard powder or pudding powder (I use Bird's Custard
Powder)
2 cups sifted icing sugar

Cream the 1/4 cup butter, milk, custard powder and icing sugar. Spread
smoothly over mixture in pan.

GLAZE
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
1 tsp butter

Melt the chocolate over hot water: add butter and blend well. Spread over
the icing filling. Let set. Nice in refrigerator as Chocolate gets crunchy
hard when chilled

MareCat wrote in message . ..
On 28 Apr 2004 22:37:13 -0700, (Lynn Gifford) wrote:



Second layer-

1/2C unsalted butter
2 tbsp & 2 tsp. heavy cream
2 tbsp. instant vanilla pudding
2C powdered sugar

Why instant vanilla pudding and not Bird's Custard Powder? Bird's can
usually be found in the UK section of supermarkets.


Ummm...because not everyone has a UK section in their supermarket?

I certainly don´t where I live now, and the supermarkets I used in
rural Washington state didn´t have a UK section either. In fact, I
can´t even get instant vanilla pudding where I live in Central
America. The only "pudding" mix available is flan. Vanilla pudding
(with the same consistency as the cooked or instant type) is a
strictly from scratch deal here. So.....better yet, why not post a
recipe that DOESN´T rely on something from a prepackaged mix?

Sandi

(S.Dunlap) wrote:

I certainly don´t where I live now, and the supermarkets I used in
rural Washington state didn´t have a UK section either. In fact, I
can´t even get instant vanilla pudding where I live in Central
America. The only "pudding" mix available is flan. Vanilla pudding
(with the same consistency as the cooked or instant type) is a
strictly from scratch deal here. So.....better yet, why not post a
recipe that DOESN´T rely on something from a prepackaged mix?

I'm surprised to see a recipe for the bars that doesn't call
specifically for Bird's Custard Powder. You can make tasty
Nanaimo-like bars without it, but if you want to make authentic NB,
you *must* use Bird's, no substitute.

I suppose real Nanaimo Bars are one of those things that simply cannot
be made from scratch. Sort of like supermodels.

wd40

(Bubbablue) wrote in
m:

I'm surprised to see a recipe for the bars that doesn't call
specifically for Bird's Custard Powder. You can make tasty
Nanaimo-like bars without it, but if you want to make authentic NB,
you *must* use Bird's, no substitute.

I suppose real Nanaimo Bars are one of those things that simply cannot
be made from scratch. Sort of like supermodels.



Grand Marnier Nanaimo Bars

Ingredients
Bottom
2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
2/3 cup butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten

Grand Marnier Layer
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup Grand Marnier or orange liqueur (or use milk see the note at the
bottom)

1 tbsp orange rind, coarsely grated

Chocolate Topping
1 tbsp butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

Instructions
Bottom:
In bowl, stir together crumbs, coconut and pecans. In small saucepan,
gently heat butter, cocoa and sugar until butter melts. Remove from heat;
whisk in egg. Blend into crumb mixture. Press into greased 9-inch square
cake pan. Bake in 350-degree F. oven for 10 minutes. Let cool on rack.

Grand Marnier Layer:
In bowl, place half of confectioner's sugar with butter and blend. Mix in
Grand Marnier, remaining confectioner's sugar, and orange rind. Spread over
bottom base.

Chocolate Topping:
Stir butter into chocolate until melted; spread evenly over Grand Marnier
layer. Let cool for 20 minutes in refrigerator; cut into bars. (Bars can be
covered, refrigerated up to 2 weeks, or frozen up to 2 months. Let soften
slightly before serving.

Variation: Classic Nanaimo Bars
Make base and Chocolate Topping as above. In layer, substitute milk for
Grand Marnier; add 1/2 tsp vanilla. Substitute 2 tsp grated lemon rind for
orange juice.

Yield: 8 to 12 servings

Recipe from: Author unknown

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food
and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

hahabogus wrote in
:

I suppose real Nanaimo Bars are one of those things that simply cannot
be made from scratch. Sort of like supermodels.



Authentic Nanaimo bars are made with Vanilla Custard Powder According to
the City that they are named after.

From : http://www.city.nanaimo.bc.ca/d_about/nanaimobars.asp

Who Invented the Nanaimo Bar?
According to local legend about 35 years ago, a Nanaimo housewife entered
her recipe for chocolate squares in a magazine contest. In a burst of civic
pride, she chose to dub the entry not "Daphne's Delights" or "Mary's
Munchies", but "Nanaimo Bars". The entry won a prize, thereby publishing
the town as much as her cooking. Some American tourists claim sovereignty
over the dessert, referred to as "New York Slice" which is sold in many
other places in the world. Nanaimo residents refuse to accept this theory,
however, believing that once you set foot on Vancouver Island, there are no
other places in the world. The official Nanaimo Bar recipe was available as
a handout as well as on quality tea towel and apron souvenirs.

In 1986, Nanaimo Mayor Graeme Roberts, in conjunction with Harbour Park
Mall, initiated a contest to find the ultimate Nanaimo Bar Recipe. During
the four-week long contest, almost 100 different variations of the famous
confectionery were submitted. The winner: Joyce Hardcastle.

The Nanaimo Bar Recipe
Bottom Layer
½ cup unsalted butter (European style cultured)
¼ cup sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ cups graham wafer crumbs
½ c. finely chopped almonds
1 cup coconut

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook
and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press
firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.

Second Layer
½ cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. and 2 Tsp. cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar

Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat
until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Third Layer
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter overlow heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid,
pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.



--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food
and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

On 29 Apr 2004 15:50:21 -0700, (S.Dunlap) wrote:

MareCat wrote in message . ..
On 28 Apr 2004 22:37:13 -0700, (Lynn Gifford) wrote:



Second layer-

1/2C unsalted butter
2 tbsp & 2 tsp. heavy cream
2 tbsp. instant vanilla pudding
2C powdered sugar

Why instant vanilla pudding and not Bird's Custard Powder? Bird's can
usually be found in the UK section of supermarkets.


Ummm...because not everyone has a UK section in their supermarket?

Sorry. Sometimes I forget that not everyone lives in such an
ethnically-diverse area as Houston.

(S.Dunlap) wrote in message . com...
MareCat wrote in message . ..
On 28 Apr 2004 22:37:13 -0700, (Lynn Gifford) wrote:



Second layer-

1/2C unsalted butter
2 tbsp & 2 tsp. heavy cream
2 tbsp. instant vanilla pudding
2C powdered sugar

Why instant vanilla pudding and not Bird's Custard Powder? Bird's can
usually be found in the UK section of supermarkets.


Ummm...because not everyone has a UK section in their supermarket?



Salut

Bird's Custard Powder is de rigeur in this recipe. Please note, you
are after an icing consistency, not a pudding consistency, when you
make the filling. Use milk a few drops at a time.

Here's is where you can get Birds in the States:

Customer Service:
Online Order Processing:
Sales:
Technical Supervisor:

By Phone: Toll Free (888) 950-3375 or (310) 324-8877
By Fax: (310)324-8825
Kundan Foods, Inc.
c/o QualitySpices.com
225 W. 134th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90061

There are three recipes here, one trad and two rockin'. Use the search
"Nanaimo Bars". You will also find good trad Canadian recipes for
butter tarts here.

http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/reciped...ipe%5F3806.asp

Zee






I certainly don´t where I live now, and the supermarkets I used in
rural Washington state didn´t have a UK section either. In fact, I
can´t even get instant vanilla pudding where I live in Central
America. The only "pudding" mix available is flan. Vanilla pudding
(with the same consistency as the cooked or instant type) is a
strictly from scratch deal here. So.....better yet, why not post a
recipe that DOESN´T rely on something from a prepackaged mix?

Sandi

(fresh~horses) wrote in message . com...
(S.Dunlap) wrote in message . com...
Ummm...because not everyone has a UK section in their supermarket?



Salut

Bird's Custard Powder is de rigeur in this recipe. Please note, you
are after an icing consistency, not a pudding consistency, when you
make the filling. Use milk a few drops at a time.

Here's is where you can get Birds in the States:

Customer Service:
Online Order Processing:
Sales:
Technical Supervisor:

By Phone: Toll Free (888) 950-3375 or (310) 324-8877
By Fax: (310)324-8825
Kundan Foods, Inc.
c/o QualitySpices.com
225 W. 134th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90061

There are three recipes here, one trad and two rockin'. Use the search
"Nanaimo Bars". You will also find good trad Canadian recipes for
butter tarts here.

http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/reciped...ipe%5F3806.asp

Zee


I don't live in the US. Shipping of food products to where I live is
expensive not to mention there is no guarantee that they won't be
confiscated at customs (it's happened before and I'm out the cost of
the product and shipping charges). Therefore, recipes requiring
prepackaged mixes are out of the question. I would still need a recipe
that produces the icing like consistency without the use of
prepackaged mixes.

Dave Smith wrote in message ...
Omcha wrote:

Call us "behind the times" but I only heard about them today!
Then I look on the Internet and Whoa! Which one of these zillion recipes is the
best to use?
My wife has a neighborhood Deli and today one of our customers told us about
these. She had recently been to Canada and I guess they are quite popular
there.

They are indeed popular, and the sad thing is that most people buy them and you
just can't buy good Nanaimo Bars. I have tried them from a number of different
bakeries and food outlets and they all suck compared to the real thing. My mother
used to make them when I was a kid. One thing I learned a long time ago is that one
is not enough and two is too many.

The other great Canadian sweet treat is Butter Tarts.

Dave, do you have a good recipe for Butter Tarts? They are a favorite
of mine, but I've never made them.

TIA
Wayne