I first came across a recipe for Nanaimo bars in an old issue of Sunset Magazine. It was over the top with butter and sugar, but I couldn’t resist trying it out. And from the first bite, I was a fan of this indulgent combo of chocolate and buttercream with its irresistible balance of cake-like base, creamy filling and brittle chocolate topping.

Since then, I’ve made the recipe a couple of times a year, whenever I feel like spoiling myself or my friends. The only other person I know who makes the bars is Susan Steade, now food editor of the Mercury News.  Her recipe is very similar and the bars are always a cause for celebration in the newsroom.

The glorified brownies get their name from the town of Nanaimo on the eastern shore of Vancouver Island, but they have been been adopted throughout British Columba as a provincial specialty. So I made a note to myself before starting this trek to Alaska and Canada to taste the first BC-made Nanaimo bar I came across on my travels.

In the tiny town of Stewart on the western shore of BC, I finally spotted a platter of the distinctive brown and white bars in a bakery case. My mouth was set for pure delight as I made my purchase

That first bite, though, was more than disappointing. – it was disgusting. How could anyone turn chocolate and butter into something so horrible that its rightful place was in the trash?

I suspect the bakery’s recipe includes instant pudding. Goodness knows, there are plenty of recipes on the Internet that call for a box of vanilla custard powder. That’s the only plausible explanation for the sickeningly sweet chemical flavor.

Rather than risk such culinary trauma again, I think I’ll stick with the old Sunset recipe. Sweet butter and the best quality cocoa and chocolate are the keys. I like to use Sharffen Berger cocoa and bittersweet Valrhona chocolate.

Try this version when you’re looking for a memorable dessert to take to a potluck. The bars are so rich, you’ll feel less guilty if you enlist a bunch of people to share the calories.