CHRISTMAS NANAIMO BARS

Steps:

• 1. In a small bowl, combine ginger and rum and set aside. Line a 9 inch pan with a foil sling.
• 2. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa, and sugar. Cook and stir over medium low heat until melted. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg. Return all into pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over medium low heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees F.
• 3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Stir in graham crumbs, coconut, walnuts, cherries and ginger mixture. Press into a foil lined 9 inch square pan.
• 4. For the filling, in a large bowl, beat the butter, half and half/milk and pudding mix until well blended. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth,add in almond flavoring and spread over crust. Freeze for 15 minutes or until set.
• 5. In a microwave, melt chocolate and butter, stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Spread over the top. Combine confectioner's sugar and half and half/milk, drizzle over the top. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set. Cut into bars.
• 6. Christmas is coming and I am looking over my recipes, this is one of them. These are kicked up Nanaimo bars. You can omit the ginger, rum, and cherries and have everyday Nanaimo bars. You can also add mint and pink tinting to the filling and crushed candy canes on top. The way I chose to serve them for "Santa Claus" since we barely had two left was, I left off the white icing on top, and placed them on a black plate, dusted it heavily with powdered sugar to look like snow and arranged some mini marshmallows around the plate so Santa wouldn't know he was shortchanged.