Nanaimo Bars (with 6 Variations)

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (or almonds or pecans)
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons custard powder, bird's brand (or substitute vanilla jello pudding powder)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons butter

Recipe

• 1 base: melt butter in heavy saucepan. stir in sugar and cocoa until smooth. whisk egg with vanilla and stir into butter mixture. remove from heat.
• 2 stir in crumbs, coconut and nuts. press evenly over bottom of greased 9" square pan. chill until set, at least 20 minute.
• 3 filling: beat butter with wooden spoon until light. beat in custard powder and milk.gradually beat in sugar. spread over chilled base and let set in fridge.
• 4 topping: melt together chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. spread in even layer over chilled filling.
• 5 store in fridge until chocolate topping begins to harden. score topping into 16 small bars (bites). cut before totally solid, use a hot knife, wiping clean between cuts. store in fridge or freeze for up to 2 months.
• 6 filling variations:.
• 7 peanut butter filling.-- 2 tbsp custard powder, 1/4 cup milk, 2 tbsp butter; softened, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter 2 cups confectioners sugar -sifted.
• 8 mint filling -- 1/3 cup butter, 3 tbsp custard powder, bird's brand (or substitute jello pudding powder), 1/4 cup milk, 3 cups icing sugar, 1 teaspoons peppermint flavoring, 1-2 drops green food coloring as desired.
• 9 cappuccino filling -- 2 tbsp milk, 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 2 cups confectioners sugar.
• 10 grand marnier filling -- 2 cups icing sugar, 1/4 cup butter; softened, 1/4 cup grand marnier or orange -liqueur, 1 tbsp orange rind; coarsely grated.
• 11 bailey's irish cream filling -- 1/3 cup butter, 3 tbsp custard powder, bird's brand (or substitute vanilla jello pudding powder), 1/4 cup bailey's irish cream, 2-3 cups icing sugar.
• 12 cherry filling -- 1/4 cup butter; softened, 1 tablespoons cherry juice, 2 cups icing sugar, 1/3 cup chopped maraschino cherries, 1-2 drops of red food coloring.