Nanaimo Bars

Ingredients

For the bottom layer:

• 1/2
  
  cup butter, melted
  
• 1/3
  
  cup unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-process
  
• 1/4
  
  cup sugar
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon salt
  
• 1
  
  cup finely crushed graham crackers (from 1 sleeve or 9 crackers)
  
• 1/2
  
  cup almond flour (or very finely chopped almonds)
  
• 1
  
  cup sweetened shredded coconut
  

For the middle and top layers:

• 1/2
  
  cup butter, very soft
  
• 3
  
  tablespoons custard-flavored pudding powder (or vanilla flavor)
  
• 2
  
  cups powdered sugar
  
• 1
  
  tablespoon half-and-half or heavy cream, plus more as needed
  
• 1/4
  
  teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1
  
  pinch salt
  
• 1
  
  cup semisweet chocolate chips
  

Directions

1. Butter an 8×8 pan and line with foil. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, cocoa, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add the crushed graham crackers, almond meal, and coconut, and stir until combined. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. I used the bottom of a measuring spoon to make sure it was firmly pressed into the pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter, custard powder, and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add vanilla, salt, and one tablespoon half-and-half. Beat for several minutes until smooth and spreadable, adding more half-and-half one teaspoon at a time as needed. Spread evenly over the base layer.
3. In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate chips, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Pour over the top of the bars and use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate all the way to the edge.
4. Refrigerate for several hours until firm, then slice into squares. I find that “scoring” them about 10 minutes after the chocolate sets helps to cut clean lines. I use a sharp knife and a very gentle “sawing” motion to slice them into five equal bars and then into 25 smaller squares. Store your bars in the refrigerator.