Cookbook Review: Company's Coming - Squares by Jean Pare

I have a cookbook collection that is rather scary, I have been known to sit and read a cookbook (and I know the only other people to understand that statement is someone who does the same thing).  Raising 4 boys (plus a husband) I needed to make meal time anything but boring.  Some days there were hits and other days major flops.

I've decided to devote Sunday's to Cookbook Sunday and to start it off with here is a book that I have had since it was first published in 1981 and I use it faithfully every Christmas season. In fact it got so used and abused that I actually had to go buy another copy of it. It was hard to find, I am not sure if the Company's Coming people are still in business or not (which is sad, this is a really good series). This is a big series of cookbooks, but it's the original series that I think is better than the revised versions and sadly they can be picked up at goodwill, value village and other thrift stores (oh if people only knew what treasures they are!)

Call your friends. Brew some coffee. Make some squares . . . company's coming! Each completed square can be frozen. Full-color photos (of all recipes).

The recipes are easy to follow, no fancy, hard to find ingredients and tastes wonderful, can't think of a flop in the whole bunch.

Since this recipe from the book is all over the internet I figured that it would be safe to post one of my favorites.

Nanaimo Bars

BOTTOM LAYER
1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 large egg, beaten
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup fine coconut

MIDDLE LAYER
1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar

TOPPING
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or 4 ounces chocolate
4 tablespoons butter or 4 tablespoons margarine

BOTTOM LAYER: Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler or heavy saucepan.
  Add egg & stir to cook & thicken.
  Remove from heat.
  Stir in remaining ingredients& press firmly into an ungreased 9 x 9-inch pan.

MIDDLE LAYER: Cream all ingredients together; beat until light.
  Spread over bottom layer.

TOPPING: Melt chips & butter over low heat; cool.
  When cooled but still runny, spread over middle layer.
  Chill in refrigerator.
  Use a very sharp knife to cut into squares.