Nanaimo Bars

Rating: Easy to intermediate!

There are a few ways of doing this classic treat. You can substitute other types of crumbs in the bottom layer, or even use oats (as my good friends Melinda and Spencer did for me once as they made me a batch). Other alternatives, like oats, may leave your mixture a bit dry; however, you can experiment using another few Tbsps of soy margarine or another Tbsp of apple sauce to create a better consistency.

You can also add more chocolate to the final/top layer to create a thicker bar. The chocolate, as is, leaves you with a fairly thin and crisp top layer. You could double the chocolate in this layer, but I would recommend adding more margarine or even a small portion (try 1-2 Tbsp) of warmed soy milk to ensure you won't just end up with a heavy and thick layer of really hard chocolate - that's not what you want, trust me!

This is a great dessert. Don't be afraid to experiment with this.


Nanaimo Bars
1.
1/2 cup unsalted soy margarine
1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp apple sauce
1 1/2 cups prepared bread crumbs*
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped
5 Tbsp cocoa powder

*This step is optional. Prepare the bread crumbs by mixing them with a sweetener. Original Nanaimo Bars use graham crumbs, but honey is not a vegan ingredient. To get that added sweet-crumb taste: mix about 1/4 cup (or to taste) of corn syrup or brown rice syrup with the crumbs. You may need to do a bit of hand mixing.

You can use home made bread crumbs, or use any similar consistency 'crumbs' that you can find. You can also find them in some varieties in health or bulk stores. Just check the ingredients as some 'plain' crumbs may contain egg and dairy.

2.
1/2 cup unsalted soy margarine
2 1/2 Tbsp soy creamer/milk
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups icing sugar

3.
1/2 cup chocolate*
2 Tbsp unsalted soy margarine

*Read the introduction to this recipe for comments on this step.

1. (Using ingredients from #1) Melt margarine, applesauce, and sugar together in a double boiler. 2. Add crumbs and cocoa to the pan, mixing thoroughly to absorb all of the cocoa powder.
3. Take pan off the of the heat and stir in the coconut and nuts. If you want the coconut to be more melted in with the mixture then do this step with the saucepan still over the element.
4. Press the mixture firmly into an ungreased 8x8 sized pan.
5. (Using ingredients from #2) In a medium sized bowl, cream together the margarine, corn starch, soy creamer/milk, and icing sugar. Add the vanilla and mix well.
6. Pour 'custard' layer into the pan over the first layer and spread until even. At this stage you may want to consider refrigerating the two layers for a short amount of time to help prevent the chocolate layer from bleeding into your 'custard' layer. This will also make it easier to spread the chocolate; however, this is still optional and not completely necessary.
7. (Using ingredients from #3) Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a regular pan over low heat, mixing in the margarine (and optional soy milk if you desire). Take pan off of the heat. Let the mixture cool down slightly (tepid and still liquid enough to pour), and pour over the second layer.

Refrigerate to chill and then enjoy!