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Celebrate Legalization with These Infused Canadian Sweets

These layered bars made their debut in a 1950s cookbook from the Vancouver Island city of Nanaimo. They’ve been growing in popularity ever since. (Photos by Mitch Mandell)

GNARLY NANAIMO BARS 

Crust

  • 2 tbsp. cannabis-infused butter (melted)
  • 2 tbsp. butter (melted)
  • 5 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

 Filling

  • 1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup butter (softened)
  • 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Icing

  • 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Place all of the crust ingredients in a food processor bowl and pulse until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture in an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely before proceeding. In a small bowl, stir together the pudding mix and milk. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer and beat the softened butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and pudding/milk mixture until smooth. Slowly add confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the filling over the cooled crust. Chill for at least an hour. Prepare icing by combining the chocolate chips and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Spread icing over chilled bars. Chill until cold, then cut into squares. Store covered in the refrigerator up to a week or wrap individually and freeze for longer storage. Makes 18 bars.

Classic Butter Tarts date back to the pioneers who settled the Canadian prairies. This maple-enhanced version gives a nod to Canada’s east coast.

BLAZED BUTTER TARTS

Crust

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup cannabis-infused butter (cold)
  • 3/4 cup butter (cold)
  • 1/3 cup ice water

 Filling

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter (melted)
  • 3/4 cup real maple syrup
  • 2 eggs (beaten)
  • 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp. maple or vanilla extract

Mix flour, sugar and salt in a food processor bowl. Cut cannabutter and butter into small chunks, add to the processor and pulse 8 to 10 times. Add ice water a few tablespoons at a time until the dough just holds together; don’t overmix. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in Saran and chill for at least an hour. Place chilled dough on a lightly floured surface (or between two sheets of plastic wrap) and press to about 1/3-inch thickness. Use the bottom of a glass to cut out 12 rounds (a little larger in circumference than the size of a muffin tin cup). Gather scraps and re-roll as needed, trying to use up all the dough. Press the dough circles into the bottom and up the sides of 12 muffin tin cups. Chill for at least 30 minutes. While crusts are chilling, preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare filling by stirring together the brown sugar and melted butter until well combined. Add maple syrup, eggs, cider vinegar and extract; beat well so mixture stays emulsified. Divide the filling between the prepared chilled crusts, filling them to about a 1/4-inch from the top. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350°F and bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is starting to set, about 10-12 more minutes. Let cool completely before removing tarts from the muffin tin and serving. Makes 12 tarts.

Named for Canada’s national animal, you’ll find variations of these oval-shaped donuts throughout the country.

BODACIOUS BEAVER TAILS

Dough

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
  • 1 package (2 1/2 tsp.) active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup milk (warmed)
  • 2 tbsp. cannabis-infused butter (melted and slightly cooled)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 salt
  • 1/2 vanilla
  • 3 cups vegetable oil

Topping

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp. cinnamon

Mix water, milk, yeast and 1 tsp. of sugar in mixer bowl. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until foamy. Warm the water and milk to just above lukewarm in order for the yeast to grow; too hot or too cold, and this recipe won’t work. Add cannabutter, sugar, salt, vanilla and egg. Using the mixer’s dough hook, add flour and mix until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Increase mixer speed to knead dough for about 5 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic. If dough is sticky, add a little extra flour. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise until it doubles in size, about one hour. Punch down dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Cut into eight equal-sized pieces and shape so that they’re oblong. Use a rolling pin to flatten and roll out each piece of dough into an oval. Use a knife to score a crisscross pattern in the top of the dough. Transfer donuts to a lightly floured baking sheet, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl. Fill large skillet with 2 inches of oil and heat to 350°F or until a small bit of dough dropped in the oil floats to the surface sizzling. Keep an eye on the oil during the cooking process and be sure to lower the temperature if it starts to smoke. Fry each tail for about 30 seconds per side or until golden brown. Coat with cinnamon/sugar mix. Serve immediately. Makes 8 beaver tails.

Canada produces 71% of the world’s pure maple syrup. No tribute to Canadian sweets would be complete without maple candy.

MARIJUANA MAPLE CANDY

  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp. cannabis-infused butter

Combine syrup and cream in a small saucepan. Add butter and cook over high heat. Make sure to not stir it. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan (it shouldn’t touch the bottom of the pan). Cook, again without stirring, until the mixture reaches 235°F. The mixture will be deep amber and form a soft ball when a little is dropped in a glass of cold water. Gently pour the hot mixture into a medium bowl, taking care to avoid splattering. Beat until smooth with an electric mixer. Roll the mixture into a ball and place between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, press to about 1/4-inch thickness. Place on a baking sheet and chill for about 15 minutes. Cut into squares or, for a more decorative look, use cookie cutters to make shapes. Store covered in the refrigerator. Makes 4 servings.

This old-fashioned dish of fluffy dumplings steamed in sweet blueberry sauce originated in the Maritime Provinces. Its unusual name supposedly comes from the sound the biscuits make while steaming in the sauce.

BLUNT BLUEBERRY GRUNT

Sauce

  • 4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Dumplings

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup cannabis-infused butter (cold)
  • 1 cup milk

Combine blueberries, sugar and water in a large cast-iron skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until blueberries have softened and mixture resembles whole-fruit jam, which takes about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to warm and add lemon juice and cinnamon. Prepare dumplings by combining flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor bowl. Pulse about 10 times until butter is evenly incorporated. Remove to a mixing bowl and stir in milk until just combined. Increase heat under the blueberry pan to medium. Drop spoonfuls of dough into the simmering fruit. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Serve warm as is or with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes 12 servings.

More Canadian Coverage

The View from Vancouver: Inside Canada’s Legalization Challenge

The Top 12 Canadian Pot Stocks

The Meteoric Rise of Canada’s Legal Cannabis Industry

The Bill That Legalized Cannabis in Canada

The History of Cannabis Prohibition in Canada

More Cheri Sicard Recipes

Cannabis-Infused Butter and Oil

High Holidaze Pot Cookie Party

Five Marijuana Munchies

This article appears in Issue 33Subscribe to the magazine today!

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