Grandma Chase's Nanaimo Bars

Crust:

½ cup butter

½ cup sugar

5 Tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg, lightly beaten

1½ cups graham crackers (abt 9)

1 cup walnuts

Filling:

2 cups powdered sugar

½ cup butter

3 Tbsps. instant French vanilla pudding mix

3 Tbsps. milk

Topping:

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate  

2 Tbsp. butter

Step 1

Grease a 9x13-inch dish. To make the crust, place butter in a large saucepan, and melt over low heat. Stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, mix in the egg until the mixture is well-combined, then stir in graham cracker crumbs and walnuts. Pack the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, smooth it into an even layer, and refrigerate until cooled, at least 30 minutes.

Step 2

Make the filling: beat together powdered sugar, butter, pudding mix, and milk until the filling is smooth and fluffy. Spread the filling over the cooled crust and return to refrigerator for 30 more minutes.

Step 3

For topping, melt chocolate with 2 tablespoons of butter over very low heat, and stir until the mixture is warm and pourable. Pour the topping over the cooled filling, spreading the topping out (if necessary) with an offset spatula to cover the topping completely. Return the dish to the refrigerator to cool the topping for about 15 minutes. When the topping is cool but not yet hard, cut into squares; return to refrigerator to finish chilling.

This recipe can be found here.