Nanaimo Bar

Name: Nanaimo Bar
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Canadian
Ingredients: 165g digestive biscuits (about 11); 1 cup shredded coconut; 1 cup walnuts; ⅓ cup Dutched cocoa powder; 300g salted butter, chopped; 2¼ cups icing sugar mixture; ¼ cup egg custard powder; ¼ cup milk; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; 180g dark chocolate

This is my version of the delicious unbaked slice I discovered years ago on a road trip through Canada. It hails from the town of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, but is popular throughout the country. It’s a simple biscuit base with creamy custard-flavoured filling and chocolate ganache topping – and it’s irresistible! Nanaimo bars are rich, so I often cut each slice in half to give 48 squares, perfect with after dinner coffee and a glass of red vermouth like the gorgeous Primitivo Quiles from Spain. See video below for another deliciously simple sweet treat.

Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients

165g digestive biscuits (about 11)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup walnuts
⅓ cup Dutched cocoa powder
300g salted butter, chopped
2¼ cups icing sugar mixture
¼ cup egg custard powder
¼ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
180g dark chocolate

Method

Crumble biscuits into a food processor, add coconut, walnuts, cocoa, 125g of the butter and ¼ cup of the icing sugar and pulse into a rough dough.
Press firmly into a 20 x 30cm lamington tin and refrigerate.
Using an electric mixer, beat 125g of the butter with custard powder and remaining icing sugar for several minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add milk and vanilla and beat for a further minute or so until pale and creamy.
Spread over the mixture in the lamington tin.
Melt chocolate and remaining butter.
Cool slightly then pour over the mixture in the lamington tin.
Tap it sharply on a work bench to smooth it out as much as possible and refrigerate for at least a few hours, preferably overnight.
Serve cut into rectangles.