Sweet memories

Although I had been to Ireland before, when we went as a family in 1995 I discovered many nice things I hadn’t come across before… for example tray bakes… I hadn’t even heard the term before, but I soon got to know it very well! We had got accommodation over night and stopped for a meal and got chatting to two very friendly ladies on the next table… who also took charge of the children so we could eat our meal! They told us about the beautiful places we could go, Glenariff, Cushendun and Cushendall, Ballintoy harbour… and also other delights, high tea at the Beach Hotel in Portballintrae, and traybakes… oh the lovely traybakes!

We visited all the places they suggested, and returned many times since, and also discovered tray-bakes… sadly when we first went over we couldn’t afford high tea anywhere, and by the time we could afford it, the hotel had been pulled down! Traybakes…

Here is an interesting recipe, very fattening, but no doubt delicious if you have a very sweet tooth!…

Nanaimo bars
1st layer:

• 4 oz butter
• 8 oz biscuit crumbs (digestives or your choice)
• 5 tbsp cocoa (not drinking chocolate)
• 3 oz sweet shredded coconut
• 2½ oz chopped nuts
• 1½ oz granulated sugar
• vanilla essence
• 1 beaten egg

2nd layer:

• 4 oz butter
• 2 tbsp Bird’s custard powder
• 3 tbsp milk
• 8 oz icing sugar

3rd layer

• 4 oz plain chocolate
• 2 tbsp butter

1. 1st layer – melt butter, sugar and cocoa over a bain marie
2. add beaten egg and stir constantly until thick then take off the heat
3. stir in biscuit crumbs, coconut and nuts and press mixture firmly into a baking tray, 9″ x 9″, leave to set
4. 2nd layer – mix together all the ingredients, beating until smooth, fluffy and creamy
5. spread over cooled bottom layer and let it set
6. 3rd layer – melt butter and chocolate together and very carefully spread over first two layers, decorating with a fork
7. chill or freeze, cut into small squares as it is very rich