Nanaimo Bars

Prep Time:10 minutes Cook Time:10 minutes Chill Time:1 hour Total Time:1 hour Servings: 32

Super easy no-bake bars with a chocolate crumb base topped with a custard icing layer all topped off with a chocolate ganache topping!

ingredients

For the chocolate base:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

For the custard filling:

1/3 cup butter, room temperature
3 tablespoon custard powder (or vanilla pudding powder)
1/4 cup milk
3 cups icing/confectioners/powdered sugar

For the chocolate topping:

8 ounces semisweet chocolate (chips or chopped)
2 tablespoons butter

directions

For the chocolate base:

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat, stir in the sugar and cocoa powder until smooth, remove from heat and whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.
Stir the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and walnuts into the sauce and press into the bottom of a greased 8 inch square pan, before chilling for 20 minutes.

For the custard filling:

Meanwhile, cream the butter before beating in the the custard powder and milk, followed by the sugar, one cup at a time, and spreading it over the chocolate base and chilling in the fridge for 20 minutes.

For the chocolate topping:

Melt the chocolate and butter in a pan over medium-low heat and stir until smooth before pouring over the filling layer and chill in a fridge until the chocolate begins to harden.
Score the chocolate where you will cut it into bars and chill in the fridge and before the chocolate completely hardens, cut into bars.

Option: Omit the coconut.
Option: Omit the walnuts or replace with another nut like pecans.
Option: Add a flavour, like mint, mocha, peanut butter, to the custard filling!