Nanaimo Bar Rice Krispy Treats

Before I get into today's post I have a confession to make: I have actually never had real Nanaimo Bars.

Fraud! How can I make mock Nanaimo Bars if I've never even had the real thing?! Who do I think I am!?! I know. But honestly, if the real bars are even half as good as these ones are, they must be awesome. Because these are AWESOME. But first, does everyone even know what Nanamio bars are? Because none of my family members did. All I got were blank stares. Let's turn to my good friend Wikipedia:

"The Nanaimo bar is a dessert item of Canadian origin popular across North America. It is a bar cookie which requires no baking and is named after the west coast city of Nanaimo, British Columbia. It consists of a wafer crumb-based layer topped by a layer of light vanilla or custard flavored butter icing which is covered with melted chocolate made from chocolate squares."

And even more importantly, how do you pronounce Nanamio?! I mean I've seen it written lots of times, but I've never thought about the pronunciation. When I was trying to describe these to my husband, I didn't even know what to call them. "Guess what rice krispy treat I just made?! I made.... uh... Na-naaa-mio... Na-nahhm-e-oh... Nannn-am-oh?" I finally gave up and just spelt it for him. Then I went and looked it up.

The correct pronoun cation is actually: "nuh-NI-mo." Sounds like "The wino." (Thank you Yahoo Answers. A website second only to Wikipedia)

Annnnyways, these are good. Like really good. British Colombia knew what was up when they invented these treats. To make them truly authentic, I used cocoa krispies and included chopped almonds and coconut flakes. The custard layer and chocolate topping I left alone, because who wants to mess with something that good? Because really, those two are probably one of the most perfect pairings in this world. I could have eaten this whole pan myself. You think I'm joking. I'm not. Now the big debate is whether I will ever need to really make real Nanamio Bars... or just stick with this rice krispy treat version.

Nanaimo Bar Rice Krispy Treats

Krispy Layer:
4 Tbsp butter
6 cups marshmallows 
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp cocoa powder

4 cups cocoa krispies
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup crushed almonds


Filling:
1/3 cup salted butter, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp custard powder or vanilla/white chocolate instant pudding mix
2 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Layer:
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp butter



Krispy Layer
Mix the rice krispies, coconut, and almonds together in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once melted add in the marshmallows. Stir until they are mostly all melted (this will take a few minutes--low and slow is key for perfect texture) then stir in the vanilla and cocoa powder. Once fully melted, take them off heat and pour over the rice krispies. Stir lightly to combine, then press into a greased 9x9 pan. Allow to cool 30 min.

Filling:
On medium speed whip together butter, cream, and custard powder about 2 minutes. Stir in powdered sugar and blend until smooth and creamy, about another minute. Spread over top your cooled rice krispies. Let this set in the fridge for about 30 minutes. 

Chocolate Layer: 
Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between each one until fully melted. Then top Pour over top your cold rice krispies and allow to cool until hardened.. Enjoy!