Nanaimo Bars
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I spent hours at Grandma's kitchen table, Watercoloring my way through long afternoons.
She baked, as I painted.
A protective pad beneath heavily bound paper.
I can see the green wall paper, her apron,
And the still life she arranged for me.
Rainbow reflections danced across my hands
From the crystals Grandpa hung in the kitchen window.
Every hour, on the hour, Grandma's house
Would come alive with the ping-ping-pinging
And ding-a-ling chorus of one hundred clocks.
Then she'd help me clear the table,
Serve small glasses of milk, a pot of weak tea,
And a platter of Nanaimo Bars.
Grandpa would follow the scent
Up from his workshop, down in the basement.
Blotting at some new cut on his arm or hand.
Pin this to your Pinterest Board "Recipes I Simply Must Try."
More decadent than you can imagine. Three layers of heaven.
And for more stories about Grandma and Grandpa, visit the Media page to hear about the most wonderful gift they ever gave me. Then take a trip back to Grandma's kitchen by gathering the ingredients below, and start making culinary memories with your family members today!
Nanaimo Bars
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/4 cup white sugar 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 cup shredded coconut 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup butter 2 cups confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder 3 tablespoons heavy cream 4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped 1 tablespoon butter
Directions
Whip together 1/2 cup unsalted butter, sugar, cocoa, egg and vanilla in a heavy sauce pan or double boiler. Stir over low heat until mixture thickens like to a custard like consistency. Combine graham crackers, coconut and walnuts and add to the melted mixture. Mix well and press into buttered 9 inch square cake pan. Cream 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla custard powder and milk. Beat until creamy and spread over melted base. Refrigerate till hardened. Melt semi-sweet chocolate with 1 tablespoon butter and drizzle over custard icing. Refrigerate. When completely firm cut into square bars.
* Since Grandma's cursive pen strokes are fading away on my recipe card, I confirmed the directions at allrecipes.com
