Nanaimo bar

Nanaimo bar is a dessert item of Canadian origin popular across North America. It is a bar dessert which requires no baking and is named after the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia on Vancouver Island.

History

The earliest confirmed printed copy of the recipe using the name 'Nanaimo bar' appears in the Edith Adams' cookbook from 1953. However, similar dessert bars were made long before that. The recipe was submitted by a local housewife to a recipe contest in Nanaimo. The Nanaimo bar was popularized across Canada when it was included in a cookbook by the Women's Auxiliary to the Nanaimo General Hospital in 1952.

Description

A Nanaimo bar is made up of three layers: a crumb-based layer, a custard flavoured butter icing layer, and a layer of chocolate ganache. The bottom layer is made from a mixture of graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and walnuts. The middle layer is a custard-flavoured butter icing, and the top layer is a thin layer of chocolate ganache.

Variations

There are many variations of the Nanaimo bar, including mint, mocha, peanut butter, and cherry. Some variations include using different types of nuts, or no nuts at all, and using different flavours of custard in the middle layer.

Cultural significance

The Nanaimo bar is a popular dessert in Canada, especially during the holiday season. It has been featured on Canada Post stamps and in 2006, the city of Nanaimo started a quest to find the ultimate Nanaimo bar recipe.

See also

• List of desserts
• Canadian cuisine

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