Toronto Namonai Bars
 

I am not sure how to spell it, but I had these awesome bars at a bakery and again in The Bay downtown. Are they a local treat and where can I get a recipe? They were fantastic! Email at [email protected]

Hi Brian - it's Nanaimo Bars! The "best" Nanaimo Bar recipe is a hotly debated subject in Canada, but here's one I use and like

Bottom Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 large egg, beaten
1 3/4 cup graham wafer crumbs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped walnuts, crushed (I use a mortar and pestle to crush)
1 cup coconut

Middle Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons cream
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar

Top Layer
4 squares (ounces) semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:
Bottom Layer: Melt the butter, sugar, and cocoa over boiling water. Add the beaten egg, stirring to thicken. Remove from heat. Combine with the graham wafer crumbs, coconuts, and chopped walnuts. Press into a 9 x 9-inch square pan (ungreased).

Middle Layer: In a large bowl, mix the butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar with an electric mixer. Spread over the bottom layer. Freeze for two hours.
Top Layer: Melt the chocolate and butter over boiling water. Cool. When still liquid but starting to solidify, spread over the middle layer. Freeze for two hours and serve.

The most important ingredient is the vanilla custard powder in the middle layer. I use a brand called "Bird's" - some people use vanilla pudding mix but that usually starts arguments!

Enjoy!

I think you are talking about Nanaimo bars, named after the city in British Columbia. Just enter <nanaimo bars> in the google search box and you will get lots of recipes.

Correct name is Nanaimo Bars. Actually they were developed in British Columbia and are named after the BC town of Nanaimo. I do not make them myself but I completely agree - they are VERY yummy. I will enquire to see if any of my friends have a good recipe.

They are called Nanaimo bars. They aren't local to Toronto - I remember having them when I was young, long before I moved to Toronto. I'm not sure if they originated in Nanaimo (on Vancouver Island)? If you do a search on the web (google, whatever), you'll find lots of recipes. They are definitely good!

Looks like lots of us posted at the same time - you can tell we love our Nanaimo bars!

I wonder when the association with Nanaimo began. I grew up in Regina in the '50s, and they were called New York Special, which is weird considering that Bird's Custard Powder was a key ingredient even back then.

Thank you SO much! Question, I am not sure where to get the custard powder here in Duluth, MN. Can I substitute something like instant vanilla pudding or search the web to buy it on-line?

Hi Brian - you might find Bird's Custard Powder at a local supermarket - it's owned and distributed by Kraft so it may well be in one of your local stores (likely in the dessert/pudding section)

If not, try a batch with instant vanilla pudding and see if you like it.....if not then search "Bird's Custard" and you'll see a number of places on the web - or send me your address and I'll mail you a tin....that would likely be cheaper and I wouldn't mind!

I found it!! ;-) I couldn't believe it, especially here in Duluth, but they had it at Cub Foods here, which is a chain out of the Twin Cities...so I am set, now I can make these wonderful bars! Thanks for everyone's help, I appreciate it!

For St. Patrick's Day, we added a little mint flavoring and green food coloring to the custard part. My kids have taken Nanaimo bars to countless school projects as an example of Canadian cuisine--their friends love them. You can use any kind of custard powder for the middle, but we use way more than 2 Tbs. We got our excellent recipe from Chatelaine magazine, the national women's magazine of Canada.