Nanaimo Bars – something to me that makes me think of holidays. When I was a kid that is when we had them. It seemed to take a long time to make, so thus, making them A HOLIDAY ONLY TREAT!!
Well, not only can you make them any day of the year, now you can eat them gluten free. Please thank “The Celiac Teen” for this recipe. I am quite impressed with this young lady. She has come up with many good gluten-free recipes.
The key to gluten free Nanaimo Bars is the graham wafers. Store bought graham wafers are NOT gluten free and only recently did I find them at my local organic grocery store. These homemade ones, however, are MAGNIFICIENT! I made an extra recipe, ground them up, and keep them in the freezer for any last minute desserts.
Nanaimo Bars
Bottom layer-
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup white sugar
5 tblsp unsweetened cocoa
1 large egg, beaten
1 ¼ cups gluten free Graham Crumbs(recipe to follow)
½ cup almonds
1 cup coconut
Middle layer-
½ cup unsalted butter
2 tblsp + 2 tsp heavy cream
2 tblsp birds vanilla custard powder
2 cups gluten-free icing sugar
Top layer-
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
2 tblsp unsalted butter
Directions:
For bottom layer-melt unsalted butter, sugar, and cocoa in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook until thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts, and coconut.
Press firmly into a ungreased 8×8 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.
**Make sure each layer has cooled before adding next layer. Otherwise the layers will mix.
Gluten-Free Graham Wafers
1 cup sweet rice flour
¾ cup tapioca starch
½ cup sorghum flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
7 tblsp unsalted butter(cut into 1 inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 cup honey
5 tblsp whole milk
2 tblsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350.
In a food processor, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.
Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until mixture is the consistency of coarse meal.
In a small bowl 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 the sweet 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 flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick.(I place my dough on a silpat, and roll it thin on that. Then I place the silpat/dough on the cookie sheet) The dough will be quite sticky, so flour is necessary(I use plastic wrap on the dough for rolling-this way, the dough does not stick to the rolling pin.
Cut the dough into 4 inch by 4 inch squares. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
Repeat with 2nd batch of dough.
Prick the dough with a fork.
Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch.**My first batch was very dark after 20 minutes-check your oven. I found that it only took 15 minutes for mine to bake.
***AS you can see, my batch, completely spread out on the cookie sheet-do not panic!! I waited 5 minutes, then sliced my giant cookie into squares. Once completely cool, you care going to place wafers in food processor and make crumbs.
Again, I have to thank Lauren (The Celiac Teen) for this recipe. I can now add Nanaimo Bars into my gluten- free baking binder!!
