Another Nanaimo Test

I just ate another Nanaimo bar. This one was from a convenience store/bakery/deli near my house. Let's see how it stacks up:

- the chocolate: When I got it in the bag, the top was coming off. I was not impressed. The chocolate was also soft. It was like they just laid they made the bars, cut them and then put the chocolate rectangle on top to match the shape of the bar. Not good.

- the cream. I'll give it points for the amount of cream. However, the cream was almost TOO creamy. It was very mushy, and I could still taste icing sugar, if that was somehow possible. Not good.

- the bottom: The redeeming factor. It wasn't perfect, but it was very good. The bottom was a little course, but not too course. I think it might have been a little too dark though. Other than that, it was a great bottom.

Overall, not a great Nanaimo bar. Points award to the bottom and amount of cream. However, points are taken away for the chocolate and texture/test of the cream.

The quest will continue.

You know, maybe I should come up with a rubric. That way, you'll know exactly how everything is and I can accurately give each bar a score. Thoughts?

The quest continues...

The search for the best nanaimo bar continued today! Today was the annual church spring sale, which, along with three meals comes a lot of cookies. I knew there had to be a nanaimo bar somewhere! And I found one.

I don't know who made it, but let's start with the top:

chocolate layer - the chocolate tasted nice, but it wasn't hard enough. However, I may have to let that go due it probably being left out, meaning it could have melted a bit.

filling - Nice and creamy. Can't complain.

bottom - if it was another cookie, it'd be good. However, the bottom of a nanaimo bar shouldn't taste like a brownie, which that one did. The bottom should be a bit more wafery, a bit more texture than this one did.

Overall, not bad. It won most points on its custard filling.

The search will continue...

In other sale news, picked up a few books, helped the book sale make over $500, which is probably the best it ever has. At least, it has in my memory. I got some fudge and some Scottish Tablet, which is pretty much sugar, condensed milk and more sugar. It's SO GOOD! Also picked up a few earrings. One of them is arrows, which is pretty neat. I enjoy it!

I also held two babies which is always a joy. One liked me because she could take off my glasses. The other didn't so much, probably because I was not food. But maybe, in time, this baby will like me too.

For now, I will continue my search for the nanaimo bar and will keep you updated!

Nanaimo Bar Quest!

In the past week, I've had two different nanaimo bars from two different cafes. I had one on Sunday from Hava Java and one today from Second Cup. If you're not sure what a nanaimo bar is, you can check it out at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanaimo_bar.

Now, different places differ slightly on how they make their bars. Based on the two I've had, the top is better at Hava Java and the bottom is better at Second Cup. I like the bottom to not be too rough. The top needs a fair amount of icing and more than just a sliver of chocolate.

So I've decided to start a quest, looking for the perfect nanaimo bar! If I see one, I will eat it and try to figure it out.

It must be hard to find! I can't even find a picture of what looks like a great bar. There's either not enough icing, or chocolate or the bottom looks too roughy/nutty.

I know it's out there somewhere. Someday, I will find it!