ORANGE AND DARK CHOCOLATE NANAIMO

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better. A classier take on Nanaimo bars.

Now that is sexy. Eat your heart out, Nigella.

Cut after a few minutes, when still a bit soft.

This is how nicely these cut at fridge temperature.

First layer:
As before

Second layer:
As before, with added orange oil.

Third layer:
75g dark chocolate
50 unsalted butter
10ml sunflower oil

Method for third layer: Melt butter and oil in a saucepan, add chocolate and mix until melted. Allow to cool down a little and spread on the cake. Set in the fridge. Cut and eat.


The original Nanaimo bars were wolfed down quite fast but after two batches I was feeling a bit adventurous. Certain recipes online use some additional ingredients in the custard cream layer to give it a new flavour and that got me thinking about the Polish orange oil in the depths of my cupboard. I also wanted to create a shinier, softer chocolate layer that wouldn't crack at fridge temperature.

Maybe the milk chocolate was to blame? Dark chocolate works better with orange anyway so I sent the hubby away to Tesco's to get some of that.

The first layer works as it is. I did use a bit of pistachios, though, when I ran out of pecans but only a little bit.

I also prepared the second layer as before, apart from adding some orange oil. You can also use an alcohol-based orange flavouring.

The smell of the custard cream was divine. I could hardly spread it on the biscuit base for feeling so dizzy at the aroma.

At this point I let the cake set in the fridge until the second layer was very hard to the touch.

Meanwhile I prepared the top layer using dark chocolate, also adding a little bit of oil to keep the chocolate soft at fridge temperature. The result was a beautifully glossy surface that was easy to cut into.

Should you, however, prefer to eat your bars at room temperature, remember that condensation will happen – at least if you live on this humid island. Some unfortunate bars ended up looking like they had blisters.