Oh my GOODNESS!!!

As I said last week, I've been baking a lot recently.  This week I made Nanaimo Bars (which actually require no baking).  I found the recipe while hunting down the recipe for Fresh Market's Dream Bar - which was, oh, so dreamy.  I'm almost positive that they are the same thing.  Let me tell you, they are OUTSTANDING!

Here is the recipe that I used, but you can click on the link above and get a slightly different one:

Nanaimo Bars

Chocolate Coconut Layer

•1/2 cup butter, softened
•1/2 cup white sugar
•5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
•1 egg, beaten
•1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
•1 cup flaked coconut
•1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
•1 teaspoon vanilla

Custard Buttercream Layer
•1/3 cup butter, softened
•1/4 cup heavy cream
•3 tablespoons custard powder (I found this at World Market)
•3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Chocolate Layer
•8 oz semisweet chocolate
•2 tablespoons butter
•2 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions

1.Coconut Layer: Beat the egg in a small bowl and put aside. In the top of a double boiler, combine 1/2 cup butter, white sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Temper the egg by slowly adding a 1/4 cup of the warm chocolate mixture to the egg, whisking constantly. Add the egg back into the remaining chocolate mixture, whisking constantly until combined. Stir mixture until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and almonds. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 8×8 inch pan.  I lined my baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.

2.Custard Layer: Cream together 1/3 cup butter, heavy cream and custard powder until light and fluffy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Spread over the bottom layer in the pan. Chill to set.

3.Chocolate Layer: While the second layer is chilling, melt the semisweet chocolate, heavy cream and 2 tablespoons butter together in a double boiler. Let cool until no longer hot to the touch. Spread over the chilled bars. Let the chocolate set in refrigerator before cutting into squares.  Some people score theirs while the chocolate is still setting.  I just cut mine with a hot knife and wiped it clean between the cuts.

**For all you CF'ers out there, each 1 1/2 inch x 1 1/2 inch bar is about 400 calories and 19 grams of fat.**