Death Bars

          Alright, so this recipe isn't technically baking per se, but my Nana Shaw emailed it to me and I decided to pay her some tribute. These are called Nanaimo Bars, but as you can see, I gave them another name: Death Bars. I chose that name because they have over two sticks of butter in them and I'm pretty sure you'd die of a heart attack if you ate more than a couple at one sitting. BUT . . . they are totally worth dying for! And they have a cool background story that Nana shared with me: "This recipe originated from this lady for her husband who enjoyed a variation of this square in England. He was a coal miner and this square packed nicely into his lunch bucket. I imagine it was quite a treat for him when he opened his lunch so many hundreds of feet underground in the tunnels." Well, it was quite a treat then and it still is now. I altered the recipe slightly in that I swirled the top chocolate layer into the second layer because the chocolate kept seizing up on me when I melted it with the butter and wouldn't stay in a smooth liquid form. I'm sure that's just personal error on my part. I know Nana could do it better :). I also couldn't find vanilla custard powder as it's a British import and though it's easily found in Canada where Nana lives, not so much here in the States; I substituted vanilla instant pudding powder. I'm sure there's somewhat of a difference between using one or the other, but I did the best with what I had and they still turned out great! Enjoy!!! Only a couple though. Don't go too crazy if you want to live.


Ingredients: 
Bottom Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg, beaten
1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
Middle Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons whipping cream or half and half
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder
Top Layer
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter


Directions:
     1. To prepare bottom layer, melt butter, sugar, and cocoa in top of a double boiler. 
     2. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken.
     3. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly in an ungreased 
8 x 8-inch pan.
     4. To prepare middle layer, cream all four ingredients well. Beat until light and fluffy. Spread over bottom layer.
     5. To prepare top layer, melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. When cool but still liquid, pour over the second layer and chill in the refrigerator. 



Tips:
Leave out of the fridge for at least 1/2 hour before cutting to avoid the chocolate coating from breaking. Use a very sharp knife to cut into squares.