Oh, just looking at the photo of these makes my mouth water. This is an older picture in my archive, and I don’t think I took this one, but yep, that’s them. In some parts of the world these are known as Nanaimo Bars (Nanaimo is a small city in western British Columbia). Some recipes contain mint. Mine do not. I don’t like the mint version at all. But if that intrigues you, do a Google search for Nanaimo Bars and you’ll find lots of variations. I haven’t made these yet this year, but didn’t want to dilly-dally around waiting in case you wanted to make them.
I got this recipe in 1963. My first husband and I had moved to Washington, D.C. and stayed briefly with family friends of my parents who lived in Virginia. The wife introduced me to a neighbor of hers, who told this unbelievable story about this recipe. It bears a resemblance to other stories you may have heard. But in this case I MET the woman who’d been “done in,” so to speak. She and her husband had celebrated a milestone anniversary and had gone to New York. They’d stayed at the Waldorf Astoria, and had dinner in their fine restaurant. After dinner, she’d ordered this dessert, titled on the menu as New York Special Slices, and was blown away by the taste, so asked the waiter for the recipe. The chef said, through the waiter, get her address and he’d send it to her. It arrived, but with a bill for $200. Now back in the 1960’s, a $200 recipe would set anybody back more than just a little bit. So, this woman consulted her attorney, found out it was useless to argue. Pay it, he said. So, she gave it away to anybody she could find. Our friends served these bars to us, and I fell in love. Right there, on the spot.
These aren’t hard to make, although they do take a bit of time in or around the kitchen because you need to chill the layers in between creating them. Overall, though, these will come together in a jiffy. They need to be refrigerated – you can’t leave them out at room temp for very long or the unsweetened chocolate on the top layer gets soft. And it will come off in your hands if you pick it up.
These became a Christmas tradition in my family from then on. You can cut them into very small pieces, or into large squares to serve as a dessert. They’re very rich, very chocolatey, so might not be appropriate to serve at the end of a very heavy, rich meal. I usually serve them as you would a cookie, allowed to warm up at room temp for just 5-10 minutes only. I recommend that these be cut into bars ahead of time, as they’re a bit tricky to cut. Best not to do that while your guests are waiting at the dinner table.
First you make a graham cracker, coconut and chocolate base, chill it. Then you make a custard filling. Bird’s Dessert Mix (Powder) is a dry mix, similar to instant pudding mixes we’d buy at our local market, BUT, Bird’s does not have any sugar or butter in it. My local Ralph’s carries it, and I’ve found it at some specialty markets too. It’s British in origin if that helps you find it. If you can’t find Bird’s powder, use instant pudding mix, but don’t add the sugar or butter, just the milk noted in the filling ingredients. You’re after a thick filling, not a soupy one, so be careful and don’t add too much milk. That gets spread on top of the base, and is then chilled. Wait a bit for the next step, then gently melt some unsweetened chocolate and a bit of butter, cool it a few minutes, then pour it over the custard and carefully spread it over the the top, filling in any spots. There is just barely enough chocolate to cover. Chill again, then use a knife dipped in hot water to cut the cookies. They will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
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New York Special Slices (aka Nanaimo Bars)
Recipe: Supposedly from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York City
Servings: 32 small squares
Notes: If you can’t find Bird’s Dessert Powder, use instant vanilla pudding (the powder)
BASE LAYER:
2 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/4 pound butter
1 whole egg — beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup walnuts — chopped
FILLING:
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons Bird’s Dessert Powder (see notes below)
4 tablespoons milk
TOPPING:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
1. Melt semi-sweet chocolate with butter. Add the egg, vanilla, coconut, nuts and graham cracker crumbs. Press this mixture into the bottom of a 9×9 greased pan. Refrigerate.
2. Melt the 4 T of butter and add it to the powdered sugar, mixed with the Bird’s Dessert Powder and milk. Pour this mixture over the first layer and refrigerate again for about an hour.
3. Then, melt the 3 squares of bitter chocolate and 1 T butter. Pour this carefully over the top layer and spread to cover it all. Chill again. Cut into small squares to serve, and if you have trouble, dip the knife into a tall glass of very hot water. Keep the squares refrigerated, although they can be left at room temperature for a little while.
Laurie
said on July 2nd, 2017:
I’m Canadian and have had lots of Nanaimo bars over the decades. Now I live just a few miles from Nanaimo. Mint in regular Nanaimo bars? Nope. (Of course you could make them minty, but why would you? Ew.)
I agree with you, but lots of people (and recipes) call for it. I’m not a fan of peppermint anyway (fresh mint in things, fine, but can’t stand peppermint) so I never understood why people liked it that way. I’ve been to functions where they were proudly displayed as Nanaimo bars, only to find they contained mint and I couldn’t eat it! Ew is right, Laurie!! Thanks for commenting – now we know from a real source, no MINT in Nanaima bars!! . . . carolyn t
Karen Gloss
said on December 16th, 2018:
The origin is from the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island in the 1950’s. It is a Canadian developed dessert and definitely does not contain mint. Never has.
Karen
Yes, I’ve heard that, but there are some who insist that mint must be in it. I don’t like it that way. And I think it was the late 50’s when this dessert was served in NYC, but who knows the rightful origin? Whatever, it’s a delicious dessert!! . . . carolyn t
Bruce
said on April 18th, 2019:
I have lived in Nanaimo for 34 years, and on Vancouver Island for more than 60 years. I have had Nanaimo bars made by many many many people and bakeries. None of the Nanaimo bars here have mint in them. I have never even heard of mint in a Nanaimo bar.
Yes, I’ve heard that from a lot of people. I don’t recall where the rumor came into being – I don’t like them made with mint – at all. I suppose I should remove that little tidbit of data from my post since I’ve had several people tell me the same thing . . . carolyn t
Grant Ikola
said on January 10th, 2022:
I have a hand written N York Special recipe from my mother who got the receipt from her mother born in 1899 who I believe might have orig receipt. She is from & died in Vancouver Canada in early 90’s, as a boy she use to visit us in early 1950’s & watched her make it told me when I was 8 in 1958 she she said got or started receipt a long time ago or got it threw her mother by way of England don’t remember
Grant Ikola ~ Mother maiden name Carey original family started in Carey, UK
What an interesting story, and am glad to know there was such a recipe way back that many years ago! Thanks for sharing the background. . . carolyn t
Alan
said on March 26th, 2022:
Growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario my sister made this all the time when I was a kid (in the 60’s). She got the recipe from a community cookbook and this was called New York Special. They were always on the dessert platter on holidays, at parties and wedding receptions – and always called New York Special. I never even heard of “Nanaimo bars” till many years later after moving away from Thunder Bay. Its interesting that your recipe calls for walnuts, and that’s how we make it but I see Nanaimo bar recipes call for pecans or almonds and declare that those nuts are the “authentic” ingredient.
Thanks Alan for commenting. I haven’t made these in a few years (because they’re so darned decadent) but oh my, I love them. I’ve had some others comment or send me emails telling me that Nanaimo Bars are the original – unless they become much more popular and someone really does the research, we may never know. And that adding mint was blasphemy! To each his own. I like this version only because it was the first one I was served. . . carolyn t
Eileen
said on January 16th, 2023:
I grew up in Port Arthur (Thunder Bay), and knew this slice as New York Special, as far back as 1956. In our family, it was made by my aunts, who were terrific bakers, and it was a common square on dessert platters in any Port Arthur home, and was always known as New York Special. it was my mother’s favourite dessert square, and the first thing I learned how to prepare, as it didn’t require baking.
When I moved out to Victoria, BC in 1966, I found that New York Special was known here as Nanaimo Bars (exactly the same recipe), and that anyone from the west coast was willing to fight you over the Vancouver Island derivation of the name.
Isn’t that a kick about both places claiming the origin. I haven’t made them in many years. Love them, though. Happy to know your family history with them. Thanks for writing, Eileen. . . carolyn t