United Cakedom: dust

You know how one day you’re just living life and then something happens that changes your life forever? And it makes you wonder how you ever lived before?

That’s exactly how I felt after I tried my first Naniamo bar. How did I live before these bars came into my life? They are the best no-bake bars I have ever had.

If you don’t know what a Naniamo Bar is, it’s a bar that has a nutty, coconut, biscuit base topped with a creamy custard like filling and a layer of chocolate. They are named after a town in Canada. There is some debate about where they originated, but does it really matter after the first bite. All that matters is where and when you will get more!

When I went in search for a recipe most of the ones I found were in American cup measurements. It’s not a problem, but since I've been baking in the UK for some long I have just gotten used to using scales. For these no-bake bars cups just make sense as there is a lot of throw this or that together!

OXO now have a 7 Piece Measuring Cup set available which is exciting to me because it includes a 1 and a ½ cup as well as a ¾ cup! They also have a matching 7 Piece Measuring Spoon set of measuring spoons. If you would like a chance to win a set of each including a Baking Spatula and a magic Baker’s Dusting Wand please follow the instructions in the widget below!

The best part of these bars is that the creamy custard middle can be adjusted in many ways. In this one I have added some Chocolate Baileys! They are one of the most addicting things I have ever made and here’s how I made them...

Chocolate Bailey’s Nanaimo Bars

the base:

½ cup (114g) butter

¼ cup sugar

5 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 large egg, beaten

1 ½ cups rich tea biscuits, crushed

½ cup chopped mixed nuts

1 cup sweet and tender shredded coconut

Line an 8x8inch square pan with greaseproof paper. Make sure there is some over hang for easy removal. Melt the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder in a saucepan. Then add in the beaten egg and whisk quickly until it’s a thick glossy chocolate. Remove from the heat before adding in the crushed tea biscuits, chopped nuts, and coconut. Fold until combined and then press down into the prepared pan. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. About 15 minutes in start the middle layer.

middle layer:

½ cup (114g) butter, softened

2 tablespoons & 2 tsp Chocolate Bailey’s

2 tablespoons custard powder

2 cups icing sugar

Beat the butter for a few minutes in a freestanding mixer until soft. Then add the Chocolate Bailey’s, custard powder, and icing sugar and beat until lighter in color and fluffy. It can take around 5 minutes. Then spread over the base layer, try to get it as flat as possible. Then chill while you make the top layer.

top layer:

114g dark chocolate

1 ½ tablespoons butter

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over a simmering pot of water. Once it’s completely melted very gently spread it over the middle layer. Place in the fridge for about an hour before cutting into squares.

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notes: in association with OXO please see contact/policy page for more information. I bought the Bailey’s they are in no way promoting this post. Recipe adapted from Cakespy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life by Jessie Oleson.

A while ago I shared with you that Sainsbury’s had listed me in their list of favorite food bloggers. Well, they sent me a lovely hamper to try out some of the SO (Sainsbury’s Organic) Range.

The first thing that caught my eye was the honey. My little ones love a tsp of honey just to lick! That’s why I've been trying to incorporate it into my baking a bit more. This honey is a sweet and fruity one as it says on the front the jar. If you’re wondering why I mention it, it is because there are many different flavors of honey.

With the Great British Bake Off in full swing I've been turning to my baking books from past contestants and the one that I turn to the most is Jo Wheatley’s Home Baking.

These Honey Madeleines have been on my baking to do list for ages and now seemed like the perfect time to try them out. They are amazingly light and spongy with a great honey taste. Thanks to the SO Clear Honey, which we have used on toast and to sweeten our porridge in the morning.

Golden Honey Madeleines

100g self-raising flour

1 tsp of baking powder

pinch of sea salt

2 large eggs

50g golden caster sugar

2 tbsp of honey + 2 tbsp for glazing

90g of unsalted butter, melted

edible gold sprinkle dust (I would say it’s optional, but then they wouldn’t be golden would they?)

Sift together the flour and baking powder add the salt and set aside. Whisk the eggs, sugar, and 2 tbsp of honey until pale and frothy in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture until just combined. Fold in the melted butter, cover and chill for at least an hour.

Before baking preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly grease the madeleine pan for easy release.

A piping bag works best, but if you like me don’t really want the fuss a dinner table spoon works fine. Using a tablespoon scoop out and fill each indention of the prepared madeleine pan about 2/3 full.

Bake for 5 minutes then reduce the oven temp to 190C and rotate the pan. Bake for a further 5 minutes until the centers rise and the edges are turning brown.

Once they are out of the oven glaze with the remaining 2 tbsp of honey. If they cool you will have to heat the honey slightly to make it glaze. Then sprinkle with gold sprinkle dust. Serve warm! Yum! And if you are like my girls you can have a little extra honey on the side to dip them in.

notes: Sainsbury’s Food Blogger List (no longer exists as of 31/1/2016); Jo WheatleyHome Baking review; #SOoraganic range has so much to offer I can’t wait to share what else I will make from my basket of goodies!; I am also entering these Honey Madeleines in Treat Petite a new blogging challenge hosted by two of my favorite food bloggers CakeyBoi and The Baking Explorer (this month's host). I hope to participate next month too!