Nanaimo Bars

Directions

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   * Note: This recipe looks quite long and extensive. It really isn't! There is a lot of chilling time (1 hour between each layer) - that is really important for the final product to cut nicely.
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   Bottom Layer:
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   1) Melt butter in a medium pot on the stove and once melted, stir in sugar, and cocoa.
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   2) Beat egg in a small bowl and add a tablespoon of chocolate/butter mixture to the egg and stir quickly. This will warm the egg up a bit and help keep it from cooking when you add it to the pot.
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   3) Remove chocolate mixture from heat and pour egg into the pot and stir quickly to combine and prevent egg from cooking.
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   4) Continue to stir as the mixture thickens up quite a bit.
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   5) Add nuts and coconut and stir to combine. Lastly, add graham crumbs 1/4 cup at a time. Sometime you will need less then 1 1/4 cup. You do not want your mixture to be too dry.
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   6) Press base into the bottom of a tin foil lined 9x9 pan.
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   7) Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour minimum.
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    Middle Layer:
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    1) Cream butter together with the custard powder.
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    2) Add icing sugar and stir to combine.
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    3) Add the cream a little at a time until you have a smooth, spreadable mixture.
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    4) Spread over chilled base, and chill for at least another hour.
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    Top Layer:
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    1) Melt butter and chocolate together in a small pot over low heat stirring frequently.
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    2) Pour and spread over chilled custard layer.
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    3) Let bars sit in a cool place until chocolate is firm but not hard.
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    Cutting:
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    While cutting these bars, you have to be very careful so that the the chocolate does not crack. It is helpful to cut the entire bar at the same time when the chocolate is not too hard. Use a very sharp and large knife and cut into small squares.
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    These freeze very well in airtight containers with wax paper between each layer.
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    * If you are not freezing, store in the fridge.