Nibby Nanaimo Squares: Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here

Unless you’re from or have visited the Great North, you might not have fallen into the diabolical snare that is the Nanaimo Bar. I still simultaneously bless and curse the Canadian friend who brought over a tray of them as a thank-you gift for dogsitting, because my first bite of this odd little confection of crack-like addictiveness set off a cycle of periodic cravings that nothing else seems to satisfy. I usually avoid temptation by making sure one of the key elements is missing from my cupboard, but every now and then the ingredient matrix aligns and the inevitable conclusion will be preparing a batch and scrambling to give away as much as possible in order to avoid inhaling half of it by myself.

That’s what happened last week when, as a result of helping a friend move out of state and inheriting the contents of her pantry, I suddenly had a box of chocolate graham crackers on my hands. One thought led to another, and before I knew it, I had come up with a half-dozen tweaks to the definitive Nanaimo Bar recipe, as democratically determined by the good citizens of Nanaimo, BC, and found myself in front of an entire 8×8 panful of sweet, rich, creamy temptation reinforced with the perfume of Kahlua and the cocoa crunchiness of cacao nibs. The only thing that saved me from complete annihilation this time was that I finished making them so late on Sunday night that my bed’s siren song was just that bit louder than my rumbly tummy.

The essential thing to know about Nanaimo Bars, besides that they have an abuse potential akin to opiates, is that they are the ultimate butter delivery vehicle. A cookie/candy chimera, they begin with a fudgy base of graham cracker crumbs, coconut and nuts bound together with butter and cocoa. The top layer is a simple cap of snappy semisweet chocolate smoothed out with more butter. Sandwiched between them is a thick layer of fluffy vanilla custard buttercream, which is firm just out of the fridge but silky and decadent at room temperature. There’s probably more saturated fat in just one Nanaimo Bar (which, don’t fool yourself, you are never going to limit yourself to) than in three Big Macs, but trust me, this is the worthier way to clog your arteries.

If you value your cardiac health, don’t even think about making these, indescribably delicious though they may be. If you do make them, make sure you have a heavily-populated somewhere to take them immediately after they’ve chilled enough to be portioned, because willpower will avail you for naught here. You’ll need all the help you can get.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Nibby Nanaimo Squares
Makes approximately 36 clean 1-inch squares, plus a dozen or so rounded edge bits for the baker

Bottom Layer
1/2 cup roasted cacao nibs
1 1/4 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1 cup sweetened coconut
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup natural (not Dutch-processed) cocoa powder
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon Kahlua

Middle Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons cream or milk
3 tablespoons Bird’s Custard Powder
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Top Layer
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Line an 8×8 glass baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper or foil just wide enough to cover the bottom and long enough to hang over two opposing sides. This will serve as a sling to remove the finished block easily and cleanly for slicing.

For the bottom layer:

In a food processor, pulse the nibs until finely chopped but not yet sandy or powdery. Mix with graham cracker crumbs and coconut and set aside.

In a double boiler, melt together butter, sugar and cocoa, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat. Temper the egg by slowly adding a small amount of the hot mixture, then add the warmed egg back into the double boiler. Put over the water and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, until the mixture has thickened and become glossy.

Off the heat, stir in the Kahlua, then mix in the crumbs, nibs and coconut. Press firmly into the pan, cover with plastic wrap, and chill.

For the middle layer:

In a mixer, cream the butter, cream, custard powder and sugar together until light, adding additional cream or milk as required to achieve a fluffy spreadable consistency.

Beat in vanilla, then spread over bottom layer and chill until firm.

For the top layer:

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or microwave until smooth.

Cool until room temperature but still liquid, then spread over second layer. Refrigerate until set.

To serve:

Using the overhanging parchment or foil, lift the chilled block out of the pan and onto a cutting board, running a sharp knife around the sides of the block to release from the pan if needed. To get a clean slice without cracking the chocolate layer, dip the knife into hot water and wipe off between cuts. Trim off the rounded sides, then cut remainder into neat 1-inch squares.

Squares are best still cool but close enough to room temperature for the middle layer to soften slightly. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer, well-wrapped to prevent the buttercream from absorbing any off flavors.

Notes:

I used chocolate grahams because that’s what I was given. Regular will work just fine.

Bird’s Custard Powder can be found in specialty shops and, frequently, at Indian or Pakistani groceries. I’ve heard vanilla pudding mix can be used in a pinch, but the real thing is shelf-stable forever and handy to have around when you’ve run out of eggs.

Very small squares are advisable since they’re closer to a bonbon than a cookie. It will also contribute marginally to the probably futile effort to deflect or at least slow down the consumption of one after another until you’re left wallowing in your own crapulence.

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Holiday Cookie Blogging: Pistachios and Chocolate Two Ways, plus Jam Almond Diamonds

My official policy is that the holidays are not over until I say they are, and I generally don’t say they are until after my birthday at the end of January, so there’s still time for holiday cookie baking as far as I’m concerned.

Depending on how organized I am in any given year, I launch the holiday cookie baking season the weekend of Thanksgiving or the first weekend in December. As I have quite a number of people on my cookie recipient list and some of them are significant distances away, my seasonal selection has been biscotti-heavy of late, because biscotti are easy to make in large quantities, are infinitely variable, keep for weeks, and ship well. Gingerbread, amaretti, shortbread, and other dry and crispy cookies are also must-haves, although I also like to make a few more delicate offerings for strictly local and immediate consumption.

I made six different cookies this year, two of which I have already been blogged about: Meyer lemon-rosemary shortbread, and Anzac Biscuits. Three new whim-driven experiments also joined the gift boxes: two variations on a pistachio-chocolate theme, and a jam and almond diamond that was too fragile and perishable to mail out but which was a huge hit when handed out at the office.

The pistachio-chocolate biscotti came from my constant fiddling with biscotti additions, and started out as a pistachio-dried apricot version I thought would look festive for the holidays last year. Unfortunately, the apricots turned into little pieces of shrapnel after that much oven drying, so I swapped them out with dark chocolate, remembering how well my earlier walnut-chocolate chunk version had turned out. Besides tasting wonderfully exotic and adult, the bright green nuts and dark brown chocolate make for a smashingly dramatic look.

The amaretti are the result of a market failure. Last winter I discovered cacao nibs, the roasted beans chocolate is made from. Much like coffee beans, cacao nibs are crunchy and loaded with flavor, tasting like a cross between pure dark chocolate and toasted nuts. I fell fast and hard, and instantly went about looking for ways to use them. In the middle of making my own amaretti when I couldn’t find them in my neighborhood haunts and couldn’t be bothered to make a trip to the specialty store, it occurred to me that cacao nibs were nut-like enough to be swapped out for part of the ground almonds in my recipe. I tried it, and loved the sophisticated results. I later substituted hazelnuts for the almonds, since the combination of hazelnuts and chocolate is so perfectly Italian, and their stronger flavor also stood up better to the nibs. The downside is that hazelnut skins are bitter and absolutely must be removed before using them. Given that I’m feeling both lazy and extravagant this time of year, I usually end up springing for blanched hazelnuts instead of toasting until the skins split and laboriously rubbing them off with a dish towel.

Although I was willing, nay, happy to pay the usurious prices charged by Whole Foods, they were just not to be had this time, so when I got home, I considered my pantry options. Spotting the pistachios, I gave them a try and was happily surprised when I bit into the first finished cookie and discovered that, while different, it was just as good. I’m sure I’ll continue to shell out for the hazelnuts, since they are my favorite nut, but the pistachio option is one to keep. Equally delicious but half the price and none of the bother. What’s not to love?

The final cookie is a twist on the America’s Test Kitchen take on the “one dough many cookies” idea in The New Best Recipe. I’m really not a fan of the plain sugar cookie, both because I find them boring and because I have no patience for cookie cutters these days, but I had faith in the ATK people and liked the idea of the chocolate-hazelnut bar cookie alternative they suggested. Since I had just done two chocolate-nut cookies, though, I wanted to do something a bit different. I thought of spreading the warm cookie base with seedless blackberry jam and sprinkled it with roughly chopped toasted almonds instead. The buttery crust, bright fruit and caramelized nuts ended up tasting like a deconstructed Linzertorte, and their fancy, stained-glass sheen are perfect for this time of year. As I discovered when I took them to work the next morning, they are too sticky and tender to travel well, but they are so easy to throw together, please consider inviting people over for these and a cup of tea.

Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Biscotti
(Makes 4-5 dozen, depending on how thinly you slice them)

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 1/2 cups shelled pistachios
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment.

Blend the butter and sugars together in a mixer until fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and espresso powder and add to the wet mixture, beating again gently until just combined. Stir in the pistachios and chocolate.

Divide the dough in half and shape into two 12-inch loaves on the baking sheet. Bake until light brown and beginning to crack, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Lower the oven to 300F. Slice the loaves on the diagonal with a serrated knife into 1/4 inch slices. Place the slices in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake again until toasted and golden, about 15 minutes. Turn over and bake again until crisp, an additional 10-15 minutes. If the cookies are not sufficiently dry at that point, turn the oven off and leave several hours or overnight to cool.

Notes: Thinner is absolutely better in this case, as you want crisp but not tooth-breaking cookies, so fight the urge to slice them any thicker than 1/4 inch. You could use either raw or roasted pistachios, but using raw will help preserve the beautiful green color a bit better by preventing over-toasting.

Pistachio-Cacao Nib Amaretti
(Makes approximately four dozen)

1 cup roasted, unsalted shelled pistachios
1/2 cup roasted cacao nibs
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 egg whites
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the pistachios, nibs, cornstarch and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until the nuts and nibs are very finely chopped.

Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the granulated sugar in a slow stream while continuing to beat until a stiff and glossy meringue forms. Beat in the vanilla.

Gently fold the nut mixture into the meringue with a rubber spatula. Scoop the batter onto the baking sheets with a tablespoon-sized ice cream scoop, approximately twenty cookies per sheet. (Since they will not spread very much, they can be spaced closer than usual.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cookies begin to crack slightly. Lower the oven to 200 F, leaving the door ajar to release excess heat, and bake until completely dry and crisp in the center, 30-45 minutes. The oven can also be turned off and the cookies left overnight to dry.

The cooled cookies can be kept in an airtight container almost indefinitely, and ship beautifully.

Jam Almond Diamonds
(Makes approximately 4 dozen, not including the waste along the edges)

1 1/2 cups whole almonds
2 1/2 cups (12.5 oz) unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup (5.5 oz) superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 16 pieces, at room temperature but still cool
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups seedless jam of choice

Adjust rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

While preparing the cookie dough, bake the almonds in the heated oven until toasted and golden. Remove and allow to cool, then chop coarsely.

Mix flour, sugar and salt in a mixer until combined. With mixer on low, add butter one piece at a time, then continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet. Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix until dough just begins to come together.

Press the dough into an even layer in the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Immediately after removing from oven, spread with the jam and sprinkle with chopped almonds.

Cool to room temperature, then cut into 1 1/2-inch diamond shapes.

Notes: You will have a fair amount of waste, since there’s no way to get perfect diamonds without creating triangles, trapezoids and the like along the edges, but I consider the waste the baker’s tax and will happily reserve it all for my personal consumption. If you want to avoid the waste and don’t care as much about a pretty shape, you can just cut the cookies into squares or rectangles instead.

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