Raise the Nanaimo Bar

A Nanaimo housewife invented it in the 1950s-every other story a damned lie, we say. Graham cracker bottom, custard centre, chocolate topping come together as the Nanaimo bar. We love the version at Secrets Bake Shop in Parksville, north of Nanaimo (Island Highway E, Parksville, B.C., 250-248-8825).

"I only use good quality ingredients. I don’t use any additives," says owner and baker Tara Bohn, who makes her Nanaimo bars with a pure vanilla cream filling, instead of the traditional bright yellow custard powder, and tops them with dark chocolate.

Berry Good Dried fruit is pretty good, but like most things it gets better when coated with sweet, sweet chocolate. That’s where Okanagan stalwart Tickleberry’s (Main St., Okanagan Falls, B.C., 250-497-8862, tickleberrys.com) comes in. Most people there will be ogling the 72 flavours of ice cream, but bypass the lines and seek out the original Tickleberry, a tart dried blueberry enrobed in rich milk chocolate. Good and good for you. (Sort of.)

Shakin’ All Over The Hitchin Post Drive-In (100 12th Ave. SE, High River, Alberta, 403-652-2966) doesn’t look like much. It’s just a modest wooden shack that’s open only half the year. But from this humble setting come some of the best milkshakes you’ll ever taste, made from real ice cream in whatever flavour suits your mood. Go classic-basic strawberry, chocolate or vanilla-or creative with mixes like kokomint with rich chocolate and refreshing mint.

The Perfect Pie The quintessential Prairie pie filling is the saskatoonberry-like an intense little blueberry. For the perfect slice visit the Berry Barn (830 Valley Rd., 11 kilometres south of Saskatoon, 306-978-9797, theberrybarn
.com) where they harvest the berries from their 27 acres of bushes. A bit of advice-call them saskatoons or you’ll sound like an Easterner.

Terrific Torte Winnipeg loves the schmoo torte. The Jewish delicacy is a caramel-pecan-and-whipped-cream layered cake made by moms who love their sons too much. Dessert Sinsations (505 B Saint Mary Ave., Winnipeg, 204-284-4661, dessertsinsations.com) makes a particularly decadent version layered with toasted pecans, high-butterfat cream and extra caramel sauce.