Caramac Apple Nanaimo Bars

Now, before I get started here, I must make it clear that I have not been sponsored by Nestle to endorse Caramac – I just love the bloody stuff!

When I discovered that they were launching Caramac buttons – I gorged myself after finding them in Poundland of all places. I posted the buttons on the Cakeyboi Facebook page and they sort of went viral! I think Nestle may be on to a winner here!
I wanted to bake with the buttons and I hit upon Caramac and apple cupcakes. Sounds sort of like caramel apples doesn’t it? I had made a couple of cupcake recipes recently however and wondered what else I could flavor Caramac and apple.

Then I remembered trying flavoured Nanaimo bars at last year’s Food Blogger Connect conference. Nanaimo bars are traditionally a biscuit crust, a layer of custardy buttercream type filling and topped with chocolate. I made a variation myself after returning from FBC, Speculaas Nanaimo Bars – have a look.
I thought that Caramac and apple would work well in a Nanaimo bar, but how to get apple flavor into the delicious traditional Canadian treat?

I decided to use some apple juice concentrate and some dried apple, boiling them down into a syrup. This was quite potent stuff and only a tablespoon was require to get the tart apple flavor into my custard part of the bar. The Caramac needless to say was used to top the bars. And thus, we have Caramac Apple Nanaimo Bars.

The flavor of the apple tainted custard buttercream goes very well with the caramelly chocolate topping (how on earth do you describe Caramac?). Overall, a delicious sweet treat I think you will love...

Caramac Apple Nanaimo Bars

Nanaimo bars flavoured with an apple
custard buttercream and topped with Caramac

Cuisine: Dessert Category: Bars Yields: 20 bars

Prep Time: 35 Mins Chill Time: 1 Hr 45 Mins Total Time: 2 Hrs 20 Mins

 
Ingredients

• Base

• 113 grams unsalted butter
• 55 grams granulated sugar
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 320 grams digestive biscuits (or graham crackers)
• 90 grams desiccated coconut
• 65 grams chopped nuts (pecan is traditional, I used walnut)

• Filling

• 56 grams unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon apple syrup*
• 2 tablespoons custard powder
• 250 grams icing sugar

• Topping

• 140 grams Caramac, buttons or bars broken up
• 15 grams unsalted butter
• 1 -2 teaspoons vegetable oil

  Instructions

• Line an 8”x8” tin with foil.
• In a food processor, blitz the digestives until sand-like. Stir through the coconut and chopped nuts.
• In a bowl, over a pan of simmering water, melt the butter, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla and cocoa powder until liquid, stirring constantly.
• Add the biscuit mix to the wet mix and stir to combine.
• Transfer to the foil lined tin and press down firmly in an even layer.
• Refrigerate, at least 15 minutes.
• In a separate bowl mix together the 56 grams of butter, milk, apple syrup, custard powder and icing sugar until smooth.
• Spread the custard mix on top of the base until even and put back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Make the topping by melting Caramac and butter together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. If the mix seizes add 1 to 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to make it a spreadable consistency.
• Spread over the top of the chilled custard buttercream and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• When chilled, cut the bars into 20 squares.

* Apple Syrup – Boil 125 ml of apple diluting juice with 50 grams of dried apple until only 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid is left. Remove the dried apple pieces.