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Nanaimo Bar Reinvented

Chiara Lombardi (IG: @chiara_j_lombardi) / Owner, The Cake Lounge, Toronto, Canada; Photo by Scuralli Photography

For the Nanaimo Tart (Chocolate Sable Shell):
    • 180 g. butter, 84% unsalted, small cubes
    • 340 g. all-purpose flour
    • 20 g. cocoa powder
    • 140 g. confectioners sugar
    • Salt to taste
    • 50 g. almond flour
    • 70 g. eggs, whole
Method for the Nanaimo Tart (Chocolate Sable Shell):
1. Using a stand mixer and a paddle attachment, beat at low speed the butter, both flours, sugar and salt until the mixture turns into a powder. This will take some time.
2. Beat the eggs a little then add the eggs to the powder mixture. Beat just enough for the dough to come together. Don’t over mix the dough.
3. With the dough removed from the bowl and onto a cool surface, pat the dough into a rectangle, then wrap tightly with plastic food service film and chill in the refrigerator for at least three hours.
4. Roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment or silicone mats to a thickness of 2mm.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
6. To bake, proceed as follows to pre-heat the oven to 165°C/330°F.
7. Butter the sides of 6cm tart rings and cut the dough to fit.
8. Line each tart ring and trim the excess at the top.
9. Freeze the tarts for 45 minutes to an hour before baking.
10. Bake at 165°C/330°F for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool then brush with Nutty Chocolate Coating.
For the Nanaimo Tart (Nutty Chocolate Coating):
    • 400 g. Jivara Milk Chocolate
    • 60 g. cocoa butter
    • 80 g. almonds, finely chopped
Method for the Nanaimo Tart (Nutty Chocolate Coating):
1. Melt the chocolate and cocoa butter.
2. Add the chopped almonds and mix well.
3. Coat the sides of the tart in the nutty-chocolate mixture.
4. Scrape off any excess drips at bottom. Set tarts aside to dry.
For the Nanaimo Tart Fill (Crumble):
    • 118 g. butter, 84% unsalted
    • 34 g. sugar, super fine
    • 35 g. cocoa
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • 180 g. graham wafer crumbs
    • 65 g. almonds, finely chopped
    • 80 g. sweetened coconut, shredded
Method for the Nanaimo Tart Fill (Crumble):
1. Melt the butter. Allow to cool.
2. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Add the melted butter and beaten egg.
4. Stir to combine.
5. Pour out onto a pan sheet covered in parchment paper or a silicone mat. Press down gently, like you would for a graham cracker pie shell.
6. Bake at 165°C/330°F for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
For the Nanaimo Tart Fill (Chocolate Ganache Tart Filling):
    • 344 g. dark chocolate (65-68%)
    • 136 g. butter, 84% unsalted
    • 376 g. cream, 35%
    • 25 g. coconut rum
    • 44 g. invert sugar
    • Pinch of salt
Method for the Nanaimo Tart Fill (Chocolate Ganache Tart Filling):
1. Combine the chocolate, butter, sugar and salt in a bowl large enough to hold the full recipe.
2. Bring cream to a boil. Pour over chocolate mixture. Allow to stand a few minutes.
3. Add the coconut rum and using a hand-held blender, gently create an emulsion being careful to avoid any air bubbles.
4. Cool slightly before pouring into the tart shells.
For the Nanaimo Topper (Dark Chocolate Coconut Whipped Ganache):
    • 85 g. The Perfect Purée Coconut Puree, thawed
    • 15 g. glucose syrup
    • 15 g. invert sugar
    • 140 g. dark couverture chocolate (Valrhona Nyangbo Dark 68%)
    • 250 g. cream, 35%, whipped and cold
    • 15 g. coconut rum
Method for the Nanaimo Topper (Dark Chocolate Coconut Whipped Ganache):
1. Bring the Coconut Puree, glucose syrup and invert sugar to a boil in a saucepan.
2. Gradually pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute or two.
3. Emulsify with a hand blender.
4. Add the cold whipped cream, then the coconut rum and mix.
5. Let it sit in the refrigerator for a minimum of 12 hours up to 24 hours.
6. Remove from the refrigerator and whip the ganache again in a stand mixer to smooth before using.
For the Nanaimo ‘Snow Cap’ Topper (Vanilla Cremieux):
    • 167 g. milk, 3%
    • 170 g. cream, 35%
    • 1 Tahitian vanilla bean
    • 7 g. Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
    • 90 g. egg yolks
    • 90 g. sugar, super fine
    • 8 g. gelatin sheets, silver
Method for the Nanaimo ‘Snow Cap’ Topper (Vanilla Cremieux):
1. Make a crème anglaise and cook to 82°C/180°F.
2. Add drained gelatin sheets.
3. Pour into a flat sheet pan covered in wax paper or a silicone mat.
4. Freeze one hour, then remove from freezer, cut desired shapes, cover in plastic cling wrap and return to freezer to freeze completely.
For the Nanaimo ‘Snow Cap’ Topper (Coconut Crispy):
    • 30 g. butter, 84% unsalted
    • 15 g. glucose syrup
    • 35 g. sugar, castor
    • 1 g. pectin NH
    • 5 g. sugar, castor
    • 40 g. unsweetened coconut, shredded
Method for the Nanaimo ‘Snow Cap’ Topper (Coconut Crispy):
1. Place butter, glucose and 35 g. sugar in a sauce pot and heat to 40°C/104°F.
2. Combine Pectin NH and 5 g. sugar in a bowl.
3. Add the pectin NH and sugar mix to the pot while whisking continuously until fully incorporated.
4. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes and allow to thicken.
5. When large bubbles appear, add the shredded coconut.
6. Continue cooking over medium, stirring continuously.
7. Pour the mixture onto a prepared sheet of parchment or a silicone mat.
8. Cover with another sheet of parchment or another silicone mat and roll the mixture thinly.
9. Remove the top parchment and transfer the sheet into a baking sheet.
10. Bake at 165°C/330°F for 12-15 minutes until golden. When cooled, break into smaller pieces.
For the Nanaimo ‘Snow Cap’ Topper (Almond Praline):
    • 200 g. granulated sugar
    • 300 g. raw almonds
    • 1 g. salt
Method for the Nanaimo ‘Snow Cap’ Topper (Almond Praline):
1. Make a medium to dark caramel with the sugar.
2. Add salt and mix.
3. Add almonds and stir vigorously to distribute the caramel throughout.
4. Pour out the coated almonds onto parchment paper and leave to cool. Note that the sugar is extremely hot and will burn skin.
5. Once fully cooled, reduce it to a praline using a food processor.
For the Nanaimo ‘Snow Cap’ Topper (Chocolate Praline Biscuit):
    • 225 g. almond praline
    • 88 g. granulated sugar
    • 225 g. eggs, whole
    • 10 g. cocoa powder, Dutch processed
    • 50 g. dark couverture chocolate (Valrhona Nyangbo Dark 64%)
    • 60 g. all-purpose flour
    • 58 g. butter, 84% unsalted
    • 1 g. pure vanilla extract
Method for the Nanaimo ‘Snow Cap’ Topper (Chocolate Praline Biscuit):
1. Mix praline, sugar and eggs, warming to 55°C/130°F.
2. Whip the egg mixture to cool at low-medium speed in a stand mixer.
3. Melt the butter with the chocolate to 45°C/113°F.
4. Sift the dry ingredients.
5. Add the chocolate-butter mixture to the egg mixture and stir.
6. Fold in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Do not over mix the biscuit batter.
7. Pour batter into a silicone mould, 10 mm high and distribute equally with an offset spatula.
8. Bake at 175°C/350°F for 10-12 minutes. As biscuit is very thin, keep watch as it bakes so it does not overcook and dry out.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the mould/pan.
10. Cut into desired shapes, cover in plastic cling wrap and freeze.
For the Mali-Boom-Boom Coconut Mousse:
    • 205 g. The Perfect Purée Coconut Puree, thawed
    • 412 g. white couverture chocolate (Weiss ‘Aneo’ 34%)
    • 10 g. gelatin sheets, silver
    • 580 g. cream, 34%, whipped and cold
    • 15 g. coconut rum
Method for the Mali-Boom-Boom Coconut Mousse:
1. Soak the gelatin sheets in iced water for about 5 minutes. Remove from water and squeeze out the excess water. Set aside for later use.
2. Whip the cream to ice-cream consistency. Set in the refrigerator.
3. Melt the chocolate and add the rum.
4. Heat the Coconut Puree and add the soaked gelatin sheets. Stir until gelatin is fully dissolved.
5. Pour over the chocolate. Mix with a hand blender to make an emulsion.
6. Cool to 28°C/82°F, then fold in the whipped cream.
7. Pipe the coconut mousse into the silicone mould to fill about halfway, then add the frozen inserts and seal with a spot of mousse and the coconut crisp layer.
8. Freeze moulds until fully set.
For the Mirror Glaze (Whistler Snow White):
    • 125 g. water
    • 225 g. granulated sugar
    • 225 g. glucose syrup
    • 225 g. white couverture chocolate (Zephyr 34%)
    • 19 g. gelatin sheets, silver
    • 160 g. sweetened condensed milk
    • 90 g. Absolu Crystal neutral glaze
    • Approximately 4 g. white colorant
Method for the Mirror Glaze (Whistler Snow White):
1. Soak the gelatin sheets in iced water for about 5 minutes. Remove from water and squeeze out the excess water. Set aside for later use.
2. In a saucepan, bring to a boil the sugar, glucose, and invert sugar (103°C/217°F).
3. Remove from heat and add the gelatin. Stir until fully dissolved.
4. Place chocolate in a heat proof container.
5. Pour sugar mixture over the chocolate; mix with a hand blender to make an emulsion.
6. Add the condensed milk, neutral glaze and white colorant.
7. Make an emulsion. Take care not to add any air bubbles to the glaze.
8. Wrap with plastic cling wrap, touching the surface of the glaze and set aside to cool.
Assembly:
1. In the silicone mould, pipe some of the Coconut Mousse, about half full. Press mousse up the sides to the rim.
2. Take out frozen Vanilla Cremieux and Chocolate Praline Biscuit from the freezer.
3. Add a thin layer of Vanilla Cremieux to the bottom of the Chocolate Praline Biscuit and dip it into the crumbled Coconut Crispy.
4. Into the mould, layer the Vanilla Cremieux, then Dark Chocolate Coconut Whipped Ganache, then the Chocolate Praline Biscuit. The Coconut Crispy should sit at the very bottom facing you (the base).
5. Freeze the silicone mould until ready to glaze and assemble.
6. Pipe a layer of Dark Chocolate Coconut Whipped Ganache into the base of the tarts.
7. Add crumbled Nanaimo Bar base and fill tart halfway.
8. Pipe a layer of Coconut Mousse.
9. Fill the rest of the tart with Dark Chocolate Coconut Whipped Ganache to the rim and set aside to cool to room temperature.
10. Unmold silicone topper and pour glaze. Place in the center of the ganache-filled tart.