Since we had a Bank Holiday and I had an extra day I thought it would be the perfect time to squeeze in some quality baking time. I’d lined up loads of amazing treats to make from various food blogs over the weekend. Then we had a BBQ party on Sunday (which by the way I had to make the pavlova twice! Still have NOT got a hang of pavlova) and I was feeling pretty hungover on Monday. I lay on the sofa watching repeats of Only Fools and Horses on G.O.L.D and trying to recover. Time ticks away, it’s 3pm, the shops are only open for another hour. Must. Get. Fat. Ass. Off. Sofa. I go, I remember to take the reusable bags (plus point), I return with all the right baking ingredients (double plus point).

I started trying some new cupcake ideas with some roll out icing. My nails are too long for this. I search the cupboard. Royal icing time. There’s about 200g left. I hedge my bets, wash out the KitchenAid bowl. I pour too much water in apparently despite calculating how much water I’d need. Attempt three: Buttercream time. The consistency is right. I start to pipe. It doesn’t stick on the sides of the cupcake like I want. I’m tired. I’m grumpy. The cupcakes are abandoned. I go and eat Thai food and feel a lot better. I took them into work today and labelled them “disaster cupcakes” and they disappear from the kitchen within half an hour!

The other recipe I had planned for the Bank Holiday weekend was Nanaimo bars. I tried them when I took a trip recently to Out of the woods cafe and I tried some of the delicious Nanaimo bars made by Fayre by Alley. I needed these things in my life.

This is me and my friend Kim. Kim is this amazing chick who enjoys dim sum about as much as I do. We have loads of food fun when we see each other (even though she’s daaan saaarf). Kim is also Canadian or Can-asian as I like to say. Since we have been friends for like 4 years, she has neglected to tell me about Nanaimo Bars. Kim is mean.

Anyway, I decided to make my own Nanaimo bars. I’ve got a new twitter friend, Alex who has a recipe for Nanaimo bars on alex bakes. I used her base recipe, but I made my own custard and changes the amount of chocolate on the top. Thanks to the feedback on this post, the real custard makes this non-traditional (and also because it’s runny too!) so I guess this is the Lay the table take on Nanaimo bars.

The recipe is pretty easy, stir all the base bits together: cocoa powder, coconut and digestive biscuits with butter.

Check out how orange the yolks are on these Clarence Court Cotswold Legbar Eggs (the blue shelled ones) I used for the custard! I was quite impressed with my custard making skillz!

Custard made, smooth it on top! Then add your chocolate…and try not to lick too much off the spoon.

Ingredients

For the base

Base recipe from alex bakes

• 200g digestive biscuits, blitzed in the food processor to make crumbs
• 100g butter
• 75g desicated coconut
• 50g sugar/li>
• 5tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 egg

For the custard

• 120ml milk
• 1½tbsp cornflour
• 1tsp vanilla bean paste
• 3 egg yolks

For the chocolate topping

• 100g high quality dark chocolate (I used 72% cocoa solids)
• 55g butter

Instructions

1. Line a dish approx 26cm x 17cm with foil (saves on tough washing up) and grease lightly.
2. Make the base: Melt the butter and with the sugar and and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Whisk the egg and add to the saucepan along with the coconut and digestive biscuit crumbs. Stir well. Press base firmly into dish.
3. To make the egg custard: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk with the cornflour, vanilla bean paste and sugar, stirring constantly. The mixture will begin to thicken. Leave to cool for a minute or so, stirring to cool the mixture.
4. In a separate medium bowl, place the egg yolks and whisk a little. Pour half the milk mixture from a height into the egg yolks, stirring constantly to prevent the eggs coagulating.
5. Pour the mixture back into the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan and place back over the heat (low). Stirring constantly, cook for the next 5 minutes. Do not let it go lumpy! Spread over the biscuit base in the dish.
6. To make the chocolate topping: Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over boiling water until melted together. Once fully melted, leave for a few minutes to cool. Then spread on the top gently on top of custard, making sure you get to the edges.
7. Once it’s nearly cool, cover it in cling film and stick it in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
8. To serve, slice into small squares.

Mae Ploy Green Curry Paste

Making your own chilli paste can be costly and time-consuming, but this curry paste takes all that out of the equation. Just fry, then add coconut milk, water, vegetables and meat and you’re done! The tub gives you eight portions and is around the £2 mark. Now you can have quick thai food without reaching for the takeaway menu!

Asda thai selection pack

Another thai one, this is perfect for making tom yam (recipe coming soon) and costs just 86p (price correct 9th March 2010, Fratton store). In the pack you get thai shallots, garlic, lemongrass, chillies and galangal. Buying all the ingredients seperately would cost a fair bit more! The only thing it lacks is kaffir lime leaves – I’m lucky I can pick frozen ones up at our local asian supermarket and just take them out when I need them.

New! Ambrosia Crumble Puds

I just tried these yesterday and I swear these are my new pudding cheat. The custard contains compote (there’s a few fruits to choose from, I had apple) and I warmed mine up in the microwave and sprinkled the crumble balls over the top. OK it’s not a proper apple crumble but they still rate top in my shop-bought desserts.