Does being cooped up have you craving classic desserts? Are you tired of making sourdough bread?

In the spirit of treating ourselves amid COVID-19 and keeping things simple, we bring back... Nanaimo Bars.

The first known recipe for the sweet layered treat appeared in the 1952 Nanaimo Hospital Cookbook by the hospital’s Women’s Auxiliary. They were just called “chocolate squares” until, a year later, Edith Adams’ Cookbook featured a similar recipe, going by the current name.

The Lazy Gourmet’s Susan Mendelson popularized the bar with her 1980 cookbook Mama Never Cooked Like This. (I still have my mom’s copy.) One of Vancouver's first catering companies, it's also believed to be the first business to commercially prepare Nanaimo Bars.

In adapting to the current state of affairs, the Kits company recently launched LG At Home, which offers groceries (including dairy, baked goods, pantry items, meat, cheese, produce, and more), ready-to-eat meals, and frozen/reheat items, among other goods. 

Mendelson shared the bar recipe with the Georgia Straight. Consider it your kids’ home-ec project for the week.

The Lazy Gourmet’s Classic Nanaimo Bars

Yield: 20 Nanaimo Bars

Ingredients

Layer 1
½ cup  butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1 cup long-thread coconut
½ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Layer 2
¼ cup butter, softened
3 Tbsp milk
2 cups icing sugar
2 Tbsp custard powder

Layer 3
5 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 Tbsp butter

Method

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. In a heat-safe bowl, use an electric mixer to mix together butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder from Layer 1. Set bowl over boiling water, creating a bain-marie, and stir until mixture thickens slightly.

Remove bowl from stove and add graham-wafer crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan. Using a spatula, spread mixture evenly to form base layer of the bars. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine ingredients in Layer 2 using a whisk or stand-alone mixer until smooth. Pour into the pan and spread evenly over the base layer.

In a small heat-safe bowl, melt chocolate in bain-marie or on a low setting in the microwave. Stir in butter until combined. Carefully spread over the custard layer.

Refrigerate baking pan until chocolate has hardened. Slice into 20 bars.