Peppermint Patty Nanaimo Bars

I saw this recipe on yeah, that "vegan" shit and instantly felt the need to make it. Mike is not a huge chocolate person, but he adores peppermint and chocolate together. I decided to make it once we got back home to Cape Cod to be with my family. The recipe was a little bit problematic. Like it says on ytvs, the middle layer does not get as firm as the original recipe indicates. I also thought that the amount of middle layer was rather small, so I doubled it. But overall, the recipe was pretty easy to make. The hardest part was probably just waiting for the bars to harden in the freezer. These were a huge hit with my family and my dad's friend Graham. I couldn't stop eating them and made myself a little sick. Below is my recipe, including the doubled amounts of middle filling. If you want to know more about Nanaimo bars, which are Canadian in origin, wikipedia has a pretty good little summary.

Peppermint Patty Nanaimo Bars

Bottom Layer:
3/8 cup vegan nonhydrogenated margarine
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cups vegan white sugar
1 3/4 cups vegan graham cracker crumbs
3/8 cups cocoa powder
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
egg substitute equivalent of 1 egg
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Middle Layer:
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegan nonhydrogenated margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons soy milk
4 cups plus of confectioner's sugar

Top Layer:
1 tablespoon vegan nonhydrogenated margarine
5 unsweetened Baker's chocolate squares, broken in half

DIRECTIONS:
Bottom layer:
1) Combine graham crumbs, coconut and walnuts in a mixing bowl & stir well.
2) Put vegan margarine in a saucepan evenly along the bottom. Heat gently until it begins to melt. Add sugar and cocoa and melt on low heat and stir.
3) When the sugar & cocoa have dissolved, remove from heat. Add in the egg substitute and the 2 T. water and stir to blend the chocolaty mix evenly. Add the mixture of graham crumbs, coconut and walnuts. Mix well.
4) Press this mixture firmly into the bottom of the 8x8 square pan. (Pressing it well is very important, so don't be afraid to use your hands). Refrigerate to chill while you prepare the middle layer.

Middle layer:
1) Combine the vegan margarine, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and soy milk. Microwave for a minute to heat.
2) While this mixture is still hot, gradually begin to add the confectioner's sugar,n mixing well with a handheld mixer. When you're done, it should be thick enough that it doesn't seem to ooze around in the food processor. You will need it at least that thick to keep it from oozing off the bottom layer.
3) Take the bottom layer out of the refrigerator. Use a spatula to spread the filling over the bottom layer. Don't start the top layer until you are done with the middle.

Top layer:
1) Break the five chocolate squares in two.
2) Coat bottom of a saucepan (or double boiler) with 1 T. vegan margarine. Heat gently until it begins melting. Add unsweetened chocolate and melt on low heat.
3) As soon as it is evenly melted, remove from heat and pour immediately on top of the bars, spreading with a spatula.

The contrast between the super-sweetness of the middle and the dark, bitter chocolate is key. Chill the bars in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate ganache hardens. Cut into 16 2" squares. At this point they are ready to serve, or you can freeze them ahead of time; they freeze very well. Serve chilled at room temperature. Enjoy.