Nanaimo Bars

Nanaimo Bars are three-layered treats originally from Canada. They consist of a crunchy base, a custard style butter icing and a layer of melted chocolate spread over the top. Now a favourite in my house, they are incredibly morish and have a perfect balance of flavours and textures achieved by the numerous layers. This recipe comes from a book I bought in a chocolate factory in Paris, back in July on a school trip, entitled "C'est fort un chocolat". This has since become one of my favourites as it's recipes always seem to turn out well. Being written solely in French meant a potentially educational experience for a pupil studying the language - well, it would have been if Google Translate was non-existent...

Nanaimo Bars (or Naomi Bars in French)

first layer

100g butter

50g sugar

3 teaspoons of cocoa powder

100g dark chocolate

1 egg, beaten

250g digestive biscuits, crushed

50g shredded coconut

50g chopped walnuts

second layer

50g butter, softened

250g icing sugar

3 tablespoons Custard Powder dissolved in 3 or 4 tablespoons of water

third layer

80g dark chocolate

50g butter, softened

50g icing sugar

1st layer: Melt chocolate, butter and sugar in a microwave or double boiler. Add beaten egg and heat gently without boiling. Add other ingredients. Spread out mixture on a plate or in the baking dish to a thickness of about 1cm. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

2nd layer: Beat all ingredients of the second layer to obtain a smooth mixture. Spread it on the cooled first layer and chill for 30 minutes.

3rd layer: Gently melt the butter and chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Mix with icing sugar. Spread over the other cold layers and refrigerate for 1 hour before cutting and serving.