Nanaimo bars

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Line a 20 cm square pan with parchment paper so it covers the bottom and overhangs two sides as handles. These three-layer bars are fairly soft, and the paper handles let you lift the whole slab out to cut without breaking the layers. The pan is ready when the paper lies flat and the corners are neatly folded.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Set a heatproof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water, add 115 g unsalted butter, 50 g granulated sugar and 40 g cocoa powder and stir until melted, then whisk in 50 g egg and stir constantly for about five minutes. The gentle heat cooks the egg slowly, keeping it safe and helping the base hold together. The mixture is right when it is thick like a sauce and coats the back of a spoon heavily.

   Suggested time: about 5 minutes. Low heat.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Take the bowl off the heat, stir in 160 g graham cracker crumbs, 70 g desiccated coconut and 50 g finely chopped walnuts, tip it into the pan and press it down very firmly with the bottom of a glass, then refrigerate for about thirty minutes. A firmly pressed base won't crumble when you cut it. The base is right when it is flat, firm and doesn't give when you press it.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Beat 60 g softened unsalted butter with 25 g custard powder and 45 g heavy cream using an electric mixer, then gradually add 250 g powdered sugar and beat for about four minutes. Beating long enough makes the filling light, smooth and easy to spread. The filling is right when it is an even pale yellow, silky and holds its shape on a spoon.

   Suggested time: about 4 minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Spoon the filling over the chilled base, spread it evenly right into the corners with a spatula, then return the pan to the refrigerator for about thirty minutes more. The filling has to firm up first so the warm chocolate doesn't melt it. The filling is right when it feels firm to a light touch and isn't sticky.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Melt 115 g dark chocolate with 15 g unsalted butter over a pot of hot water on low heat, let it cool for a few minutes, then pour it over the filling and tilt the pan so the chocolate flows to cover it completely. The butter keeps the chocolate softer so it doesn't crack when cut. The topping is right when it is smooth, glossy and hides the yellow layer underneath completely.

   Low heat.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Refrigerate the bars for about one hour, then lift them out by the paper handles and cut them into small bars with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry after every cut. A warm knife slices cleanly through the chocolate without cracking the top. The bars are finished when every piece shows three clear layers of brown, yellow and dark chocolate with straight, sharp edges.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done