The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.
I will admit that I did not make the gluten free. Maybe in the states, gluten free flours are a bit cheaper, but here they are expensive! And I couldn't even find them on the German economy. My graham wafers were delicious though. I followed the recipe closely for them and didn't have any sort of problem with the dough. I did slim it down though to 1/4 the recipe since I was making them just for me!
I got a little trickier with the Nanaimo bars though. I divided the recipe in half, substituted...some other type of nut...I honestly don't remember what...for the the almonds and scrapped to coconut.
Bottom Layer
½ cup unsalted butter (European style cultured)
¼ cup sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ cups graham wafer crumbs
½ c. finely chopped almonds
1 cup coconut
Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.
I'll admit that I didn't make the second layer at all. I sweetened some marscapone cheese with a little powdered sugar and used that. It was super yummy.
Second Layer
½ cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. and 2 Tsp. cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar
Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.
Third Layer
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Melt chocolate and butter overlow heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.
