Nanaimo Bars

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 http://www.nanaimo.ca/.

This year for the Daring Bakers' begins with a celebration of Canada and the upcoming Winter Olympics. The challenge consisted of making what is apparently a very popular bar style cookie in Canada called the Nanaimo Bar named for the city of Nanaimo in British Colombia. The best part of the challange was the homemade graham crackers, while Lauren must bake gluten free, I chose to make my graham crackers with graham wheat flour. I have wanted to make graham crackers for a long time. I stopped using the graham crackers in the regular supermarket because of the ingredients list and found some at Trader Joe's that were okay, then I used Annie's Bunny Grahams but they can be spendy. So I am happy to have a tasty graham cracker recipe in my recipe file.

The Nainaimo bar somehow reminds me of a Magic Bar (Seven Layer Bar) except the Nainamo Bars have this center of frosting (I used pudding mix and I think maybe if I had used the custard powder it might have been creamier and more custardy).

Give this recipe a try especially if you need a dessert in hurry. If you don't make graham crackers the recipe goes quite quickly.

Thank you Lauren for a bit of Canada!

Nanaimo Bars
Preparation time:
• Graham Wafers: 30 to 45 minutes total active prep, 2 ½ hours to overnight and 45 minutes inactive prep.
• Nanaimo Bars: 30 minutes.
Ingredients:

For Nanaimo Bars — Bottom Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe) (I used the graham wheat flour crackers - recipe follows)
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

For Nanaimo Bars — Middle Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar

For Nanaimo Bars — Top Layer
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

Directions:
1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.
2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.
3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.
-Additional Information: These bars freeze very well, so don’t be afraid to pop some into the freezer.
The graham wafers may be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Mine lasted about that long.
If making the graham crackers with wheat, replace the gluten-free flours (tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, and sorghum flour) with 2 ½ cups plus 2 tbsp of all-purpose wheat flour, or wheat pastry flour. Watch the wheat-based graham wafers very closely in the oven, as they bake faster than the gluten-free ones, sometimes only 12 minutes.

For Gluten-Free Graham Wafers
Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of wheat graham flour or whole wheat flour or
1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
3/4 cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour
1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL ) Kosher Salt
7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover.
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract
Directions:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.
2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
3. Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour or wheat flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight. I put mine in the freezer for 30 minutes and I could have skipped this step all together using the wheat flour.
4. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky,(the wheat was not sticky) so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes (I skipped this second chill). Repeat with the second batch of dough.
5. Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
6. Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.
7. Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.
9. When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.

My Dad's Ginger Cookies

My dad's favorite type of cookie is a soft cookie versus a crunchy cookie. He really likes this recipe for that reason plus he likes that they are like gingersnaps minus the snap.

It is wonderful how one simple act - the act of baking for your family - can make a simple moment become a sweet memory. One year when I was home visiting during the winter and the house was full of people, adults, children and babies, and my Dad made up a batch of these cookies late in the afternoon, right at that hour when your brain is signalling you for some kind of small nourishment. His timing was perfect and it only brought forward the cozy and playful togetherness (if my father is involved there is always some kind of play or roughhousing). The house filled with a good spicy smell and everyone gathered in the kitchen to sample a cookie or two - they were delicious. They did not spend much time on the cooling racks before being eaten. Then too everyone's disappointment they were gone before the oven cooled down. Try these cookies they are spicy and do get crunchier over time.

Dad's Gone in 20 Minutes Ginger Cookies

Makes about 36

Preheat oven to 350F

1 (1/2 cup) stick of butter

1 cup of sugar

pinch of salt

1 egg

1/4 cup of molasses

2 cups of flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda

2 teaspoons of ginger

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, ginger and baking soda)

Cream the butter, sugar and salt together

Beat in egg and molasses.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients gradually.

Roll into small balls (walnut size) then roll in granulated sugar.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas with Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce

I love Mexican food but I am particular about it. I don't like it too greasy or too hot. Heat is good but it does not substitute flavor. Living in the Sonoran desert our local Mexican food is the standard fare that a cattle ranching population of people could survive on like refried beans, red rice, various burros with chunky red or green chili beef, tacos, queso fundito, menudo, sopapillas etc. I am trying to move away from the "junior league" style recipes where a can of soup is added for flavor and ease of preparation but those cans of condensed soup are filled with ingredients I am no longer feeding to my family. I am trying to create pure, simple and delicious flavor.

Chicken Enchiladas
Serves a family of 4
Preheat Oven to 375F

1-2lbs of (about 3 cups) of shredded chicken (I grill or oven roast bone-in chicken breast with a light seasoning of salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin).
1 to 2 fresh or canned jalapenos chopped fine (I always chop with gloves)
1 pasilla or hatch or poblano (whatever your market has - watch for the super hot chilies) chopped fine
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 onion chopped fine
1 tsp cumin optional
1 tsp salt
Note: sometimes I do a quick saute of onions and chili peppers in a bit of oil to soften adding the cumin in at the end for about 30 seconds
1lb (16oz) cheese (sharp, medium, or monterey mix)
3-4 cups enchilada sauce (recipe follows)
12 corn tortillas

Combine 3 cups of cheese and about 3/4 of a cup to 1 cup of the enchilada sauce with the chicken, chilies, onions, cilantro, spices, taste for salt and pepper. I like my mixture moist so I adjust with the enchilada sauce.

Heat a small amount of oil in a saute pan and heat and run each tortilla through the oil stacking on a papertowel lined plate. Or to cut the extra fat wrap the stack of corn tortillas in a wet paper towel and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds until they are bendable

Prepare baking dish by spreading about a 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Place filling down the center of the tortilla topped a bit of cheese if desired and to a quick wrap placing seam side down in pan. Fill all 12 tortillas.

Top with remaining sauce and cheese and cover with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese browns (5 minutes) or until crispy (10 minutes).




Mild Red Enchilada Sauce
Makes 3 cups

10 large dried Californian/New Mexican chili pods (in the Mexican section of the supermarket)
2 cups of hot chicken broth (just under boiling) or water
4 cloves of garlic chopped
2 teaspoons of salt

Remove stems from chillies then cut open and remove seeds.

Lightly toast chillies in an ungreased saute pan over medium heat until they are fragrant but not too dark.

Crumble chillies into a bowl and pour hot broth over top and cover bowl with a plate and let stand for 1 hour until the chillies are softened.

In a bowl of a food processor, add the garlic salt and the chillies in their liquid and process until smooth.

Strain through a fine strainer to remove the coarse skin.

Adjust your seasonings with salt, pepper, and cumin.

Stuffed Pork Chops

Stuffed Pork Chops
serves 4

3 tablespoons butter
1 onion chopped fine
1 finely chopped rib of celery
¼ salt
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 slices or 2 cups of better quality bread cubed (small cubes or rough fresh crumbs) placed in medium bowl
3 tablespoons heavy cream
pepper to taste
4 pork chops (I used center thicker cut boneless and bone in chops - 3-4 pounds)
oil for searing

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery and soft cooking until softened. Stir in the herbs and garlic and cook until fragrant 40 seconds or so. Remove from heat and toss with bread, cream and pepper. Pressing until comes together.

Heat oven to 450°F. Cut a pocket along long edge of chop (I make an incision along edge then use my knife to cut a pocket without disturbing the outer edge in order to hold the bread mixture). Stuff each chop equally.

Heat oil over medium high heat in a saute and brown the chops on both sides until brown (5 minutes). Transfer to baking dish and bake until center of stuffing reaches 135°F (around 18 minutes depending on your oven). Turn chops half way through.

You can cook your chops until they reach the internal temperature of 145°F or remove when the stuffing reaches temperature and put the chops on a plate tenting with foil (they will continue to 'cook' under the foil).

Use saute pan to make a pan sauce if desired.

Lemon Thyme Pan Sauce
Oil
1 shallot or ¼ onion minced
1½ cups of chicken broth
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons of chilled butter in 3 pieces

Add oil to skillet that you sauteed your chops in heat to shimmering and add shallots and cook until softened. Stir in thyme add broth scraping up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan and simmer until thickened - 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and additional pork juice from the plate of cooked pork chops. Turn heat low and whisk in 1 at a time the butter pieces. Do not add a new piece of butter until the one before it mixed in. Take your time so as not to break the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.