Our trip to Canada introduced us to a number of yummy delights: Poutine, the famous pile of fries, gravy and cheese, Montreal smoked meat, (the dusky cousin to pastrami), ketchup chips and my personal favorite: the Nanaimo bar.
Named for the city in British Columbia where they originated, this three-layer cookie combination traditionally consists of a coconutty crust, creamy custard filling topped with a milk chocolate ganache.
With Valentine’s Day approaching like Cupid’s arrow, I’m feeling all loved up and thought a raspberry pink filling would be the perfect treat for February 14.
I found my inspiration here:
https://www.rockrecipes.com/nanaimo-bar-recipe-collection/
but as usual, I can’t leave well enough alone and I adjusted the recipe to meet the occasion and my taste. I used less powdered sugar, which made the raspberry middle layer deliciously sweet/tart. I pressed the mixture into a 9×13 pan instead of an 9×9, so I needed to double the ingredients for the dark chocolate ganache top. The best version, bar none! Perfect for sharing with that sweet someone.
Raspberry Nanaimo Bars
Ingredients
- For the Crust Layer:
- 3/4 cup Butter
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 8 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 2 Eggs, slightly beaten
- 2 1/4 cups Graham Cracker crumbs
- 3/4 cup Shredded, Unsweetened Coconut
- 1/2 cup Finely chopped, toasted Walnuts You can substitute your favorite: pecans or almonds would work too.
- For the Raspberry Filling:
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/3 cup Raspberry Preserves
- For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 2 cups Dark Chocolate Chips
- 4 tbsp Butter
Instructions
- For the Base Layer:
- In a small saucepan, melt together the butter, sugar and cocoa over low heat.
- Add the beaten egg and continue to cook, stirring constantly to fully cook the egg to a soft scrambled texture.
- Remove from the heat and add the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and walnuts.
- Mix together until well combined, then press into the bottom of a parchment paper lined 9x13 inch baking pan.
- For the Raspberry Filling:
- With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until combined.
- Beat in the raspberry preserves.
- Spread evenly over the base layer. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before adding the chocolate ganache.
- For the Chocolate Ganache:
- Melt butter and chocolate together over low heat, just until the chocolate is melted, being careful not to over-heat it. Alternatively, you can melt them in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between intervals.
- Spread quickly over the chilled frosted layer. Return to the fridge until the chocolate sets.
- Cut into bars and enjoy!
Read more on our trip to Canada, click below:
https://thetravelingdelanys.com/toronto-with-a-side-of-thousand-islands/
