Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Nanaimo Bars - Daring Bakers Challenge for January 2010

Dear All,

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The January 2010 Daring Bakers' Challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe are on 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

This was the first time I was making Nanaimo Bars and I am so impressed with these I cant tell you. These bars are packed with goodness of chocolate with almonds and coconut as base, the middle layer consist of rich vanilla custard cream, topped with melted dark chocolate. I wanted to make Graham Crackers at home from a very long time since we dont get these here, this challenge gave me the perfect opportunity to try my hands on some delicious home made graham crackers plus making them was so easy and they tasted fabulous!


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Recipe for Graham Crackers:-
2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour (You can use whole wheat + APF)
1 cup (200gms) Dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
7 tbsp (100gms) unsalted butter, cut into squares, frozen
1/3 cup (80 ml) honey
5 tbsp (75 ml) whole milk
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Procedure:-
  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.
  • In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
  • Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.
  • Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
  • Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
  • Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.
  • Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.
  • When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.
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Nanaimo Bars
Ingredients:-
For Nanaimo Bars — Bottom Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe)
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

For Nanaimo Bars — Middle Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar

For Nanaimo Bars — Top Layer
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

Procedure:-
  • For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.
  • For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.
  • For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.
  • I made some swirls on the top with melted chocolate and custard cream, personally i loved the effect!

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Additional Information:

These bars freeze very well, so don’t be afraid to pop some into the freezer.

The graham wafers may be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Mine lasted about that long.

If making the graham crackers with wheat, replace the gluten-free flours (tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, and sorghum flour) with 2 ½ cups plus 2 tbsp of all-purpose wheat flour, or wheat pastry flour. Watch the wheat-based graham wafers very closely in the oven, as they bake faster than the gluten-free ones, sometimes only 12 minutes.

For the Nanaimo Bars, if making with wheat, replace the gluten-free graham wafer crumbs with equal parts wheat graham wafer crumbs!

80 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful work Parita, gorgeous nanaimo bars, simply divine..

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  2. Lovely !! The color of the bars has come out to be so perfect. Even the pic is gorgeous in pink contrast. Nice work dear :)

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  3. Wow.. these looks so yummmmmmmmmmmmy.. :) I am not a big fan of anything with coconut but chocolate will make me go nuts.. so guess this one would balance my crazyness. :) Lovely pics dear.. You rock as ever.

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  4. I agree on the taste: YUM!

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  5. I would love to make some when I am not in a diet!
    These must be a heavenly treat, esp. for this ice cold day!

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  6. Bars are sweet and cute! Nanaimo is a cool name! It's divine!

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  7. very interesting name,heard it for the first time,looks delicious too parita...

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  8. I can imagine these must taste good with chocolates,coconut and vanilla cream ..nothing can go wrong , deliicous click too!
    hugs and smiles

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  9. Mmmm...looks so delicious and yummy.

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  10. Delish. Light and dark looks good.

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  11. They look so awesome, very beautiful pictures as well.

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  12. the nanaimo bars look so yum and tempting to grab.

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  13. terrific!!!looks absolutely delicious..

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  14. beautiful pictures and gorgeous bars...

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  15. Looks absolutely sinful..i never tasted these bars,gr8 job dear..

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  16. wonderful Parita!its a heavy work.looks so yummy.I can grab one rit away.

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  17. Fabulous ones Parita.Mine turned out to be very sweet.Its surely a lovely challenge.

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  18. Well done on the challenge Parita. Your Nanaimos are perfect & very pretty!

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  19. i decided not to cook/bake any sweet for a while as i am gaining weight:) but your beautiful clicks are tempting me

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  20. Good job Parita .
    Pls accept ur award from my blog dear

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  21. these r new to me..they are so tempting! felt like taking a byte from d pic!

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  22. Bars look gorgeous . Thanks for the recipe dear.

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  23. Chocolate is good. Chocolate is real good. Of course, this is coming from an admitted chocoholic.

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  24. The way you have described the bars sounds too tempting...lovely pictures :)

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  25. I appreciate u for all the sincere efforts u put into baking. way to go.the bars look absolutely fantastic.

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  26. Love the pattern u created on top- beautiful swirls :)

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  27. Excellent job, these turned out really lovely Parita!

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  28. I am so impressed that you made your own graham crackers! These are so very decadent, what a delicious treat!

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  29. awesome bars... looks amazing. lovely click too...

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  30. Looks superb and appreciate all your efforts put in Parita.

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  31. That looks so perfect and gorgeous... Love the custard in the middle.hats off!!!

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  32. very pretty and I love how you present them.

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  33. i hope all these beautiful posts motivate me enough to start blogging again...
    thanks Parita for connecting with me at this point of time , it meant a lot !!

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  34. looks sinful..loved that marbled effect too..

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  35. Your bars look great. I love the marbled chocolate on top. Great job!

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  36. You got them so perfect! And I adore the swirls on top layer.

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  37. Looks very neat Pari... Love the way they have turned out... Love the chocolaty color on top!!!

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  38. They look so pretty. I love your pink background.

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  39. Yummy...Guess you enjoyed the challenge :-) great job Parita !

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  40. Deadly delicious. I've loved graham crackers since I was a kid. Never thought to make them myself. Lovely.

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  41. Killing..these look so goood. Cant wait to try them..great fantastic click.

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  42. How nice that your grahams were fabulous. I struggled a bit with mine. Your bars look tasty as well!

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  43. Must be delicious !! Nice Clicks.

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  44. Gosh!That is one fantastic looking click and a sinful dessert!

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  45. Oh wow! Those bars looks absolutely yummy Pari :-)

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  46. looks sooo delicious and tempting.

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  47. I knew you'd do a great job-you always do Parita! Gorgeous Nanaimos! :D

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  48. don't know the name Nanaimo but the recipe and the piictures tells by itself it's wonderful taste!!! the graham crackers sound equally good too!!!

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  49. I loved this challenge too. The slice was great, glad you also liked the recipe.

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  50. Ooh! That looks just perfect with the marbled finish.

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  51. Looks Inviting.Any idea whether it affects the texture if the eggs are replaced with applesauce.

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  52. WOW !! Thay have turned out Awesome dear. You truly are a daring baker :)

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  53. Hats off to you DB guys, the Nanaimo bars look so yumm.

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  54. Lovely challenge Parita..love the swirled effect on top:):)

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  55. Gosh!Can anything look do tempting as these!!!Got any leftovers??I would love to drop by :)

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  56. oh my my... looks so rich and yum. it's difficult to make.. why not just send it my way? hehe

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  57. hi parita,
    This is def. a jhakas looking thing :) am sure it would be direct ticket to angeltown if one eats it ( wish I could grab the whole of it ;)) pat pat pat!! girl u made crackers at home and all that elaborate thingie :) good!!!!
    I am really craving for it now...love the swirl effect!!
    Keep rocking!!
    TC

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  58. These Crackers and bars looks incredible Parita! you have done an awesome job...

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  59. I love everything that makes up these bars so I think i would definitely love the end product. You made graham crackers yourself? cool!

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  60. The bars look great, fabulous with homemade graham crackers!

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  61. Such fabulous bars dear... I simply love ur efforts in baking!! :)

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  62. Fabulous Naniamo bars Parita, well worth the effort, delicious!

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  63. u know sis i still remember the day u had got this delicious desert for mee..and its taste is still on my taste buds..this was an amazing desert and still i crave for such type of desert...muahhhhhh

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