Gingerbread Swirl Christmas Nanaimo Bars

1.Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.

2.In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

3.Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, mixing until fully incorporated.

4.In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, baking powder, and salt.

5.Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in the shredded coconut until evenly distributed.

6.Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan.

7.While the base cools, prepare the custard layer. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, molasses, and milk until smooth and creamy. Spread this mixture evenly over the cooled gingerbread base.

8.For the chocolate ganache, heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and add the semi-sweet chocolate chips, stirring until melted and smooth.

9.To create the swirl effect, melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the chocolate ganache, then use a toothpick or a skewer to swirl them together gently.

10.Pour the ganache mixture over the custard layer, spreading it evenly. Refrigerate the bars for at least 2 hours, or until set.

11.Once set, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhang. Cut into squares or rectangles for serving.