Canadian Christmas and Nanaimo Bars

Many Christmas traditions in Canada are very similar to those celebrated in America, so for today's tour stop, I thought we'd take a look at some of Canada's traditional recipes - many of which are baked up for Christmas! 

I for one will be trying out the delicious looking Nanaimo Bars - a confection named after the city of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island,British Columbia. This historic Canadian dessert first made its appearance in the early to mid 1900s and has even been featured on a Canadian postage stamp. Yum! 

Another Canadian treat legendary enough to grace a postage stamp is the Canadian butter tart. Often filled with nuts, raisins, or other dried fruits, the butter tart leaves a lot of room for experimentation with your favorite flavor combinations.

One of our new favorite nativity scenes from Canada is this beautiful pewter candle holder. You can see the delicate glow of the candle through the blue stained glass. 

Looking for a recipe for those delicious looking Nanaimo Bars? Here is one to try:

NANAIMO BARS

INGREDIENTS

BOTTOM LAYER

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1/4 c. granulated sugar

5 T. cocoa powder

1 egg, beaten

1 and 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs

1/2 c. finely chopped almonds

1 c. shredded coconut

SECOND LAYER

1/2 c. unsalted butter

2 T. plus 2 tsp. heavy cream

2 T. vanilla custard powder or instant pudding mix

2 c. confectioners sugar

THIRD LAYER

4 1 oz. squares of semi-sweet chocolate

2 T. unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS:

BOTTOM LAYER Melt butter, sugar, and cocoa in the top of a double boiler. Add egg, a bit at a time to temper, and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat then stir in crumbs, coconut, and almonds. Press firmly into an 8" X 8" pan.

SECOND LAYER Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and confectioners sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

THIRD LAYER Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool slightly and pour over second layer. Chill in fridge, then cut into 2" X 2" squares