Mom's Penoka Squares

Like I said in my last post - this is a real fav in our family. And any time I make it and take it anywhere it is a big hit. A story that I have heard from some Canadians is that 35 years ago a woman from Nanaimo, which is on Vancouver Island, entered this recipe in a magazine contest and won. Now the town of Nanaimo claims the recipe and uses it as a real tourist thing - printed on tea towels and aprons, etc. When the mayor of Nanaimo held a Nanaimo Bar contest in the 80's there were over 100 versions of the bar recipe entered.

Now, in New York they call it New York Slice, in Australia I have heard it called Continental Slice. But in our house they are called Penoka Squares.

My parents moved to Seattle in 1952 where my Dad had a job with Boeing - he had just graduated from University of Colorado with degrees in Engineering and Management. He had scoped out the city a few months before my Mom joined him, and he found a little house in West Seattle to rent while they looked for a place to buy. Across the alley was where Lynn lived. She and my Mom have been friends for 56 years, but now Lynn has alzheimer's disease and doesn't know who my mother is - it's very sad. Anyway, she gave my mother her secret recipe for Penoka Squares, well before a woman from Nanaimo won any contest so... I'm sticking with Penoka Squares as the original name for this desert.

I'm pretty sure there is town called Penoka in Alberta - and I know there is an apple called a Penoka?

As I said before, it was always my older brother's birthday cake. Bytheway, my younger brother always gets Boston Cream Pie for his, and my fav is my mom's pumpkin pie - no one wants cake!

Mom uses bitter chocolate in the topping and now - thanks to Lindt so can I!! Bitter Chocolate is just 70% or more.

Penoka Squares
Melt : 185g or butter and 100g of dark chocolate over hot water. When just melted stir in one lightly beaten egg stirring constantly till mixture starts to thicken. Take off heat and cool for 5 mins. Stir in 2c crushed biscuits (I use wheatmeal or granitas)(graham crackers if you are in the states), 1c coconut, and 2/3c chopped pecans.
Press into a 8x8 pan and put in the fridge till cold.
Middle filling : Cream 60g softened butter and 1teas vanilla. Slowly add 2c powdered (icing) sugar, 2Tbls custard powder (Bird's Eye is best) and 1/4c milk.
Put into the fridge till cold.
Topping : Melt 60g dark chocolate and 15g butter over hot water. Drizzle over the custard layer and smooth out with a knife.
Put it back into the fridge till cold.
It goes soft if it is out of the fridge for too long so make sure if you are taking it somewhere that it is not hot.

I hope you love this as much as I do - and everyone I have ever made it for.