Home made Tim Tams

A long time ago, in the early 90s when I was young and foolish, I went to Sydney for a weekend break, well 3 days actually but not a long trip. During that time I packed a lot in. The opera house, the Rocks, Bondi and a visit to Doyles. I had more than my fair share of VB and came home with an addiction to Violet Crumbles and Tim Tams. Similar in style to a Penguin biscuit, but bigger and with a slightly malty flavour.

Australia Day on Saturday brought back all the memories of Sydney. The fact we had snow and hail here had me craving for some sun. I can do many things but changing the weather isn’t one of them.  But I can travel via food. A good friend was making damper, why couldn’t I make Tim Tams?

I have made bourbon biscuits in the past so I had a recipe that perhaps I could adapt. Off to the kitchen to give it a go.

As you can see from the picture at the top of this post they worked really well, malty and moreish. I have yet to try a Tim Tam Slam with one of them as my mouth is currently numb from a visit to the dentist but this evening I will be!

Tim Tams  (adapted from a Bourbon biscuit recipe from Larger family life.

Ingredients:

Biscuits:

225 g plain flour

25 g cocoa powder

1 tbsp malted milk drink (I used Horlicks)

1 level tsp baking powder

115g butter (softened)

115g  caster sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

Filling:

100g softened butter

100g to 200g icing sugar

2 tsp cocoa powder

1 tsp malted milk powder

Covering

200g milk chocolate

Equipment

mixing bowls

rolling pin

baking tray

heatproof bowl for melting chocolate

ruler to measure biscuit dough

parchment paper

wire rack for cooling

Method:

Set oven to Gas Mark 3/ 160°C/ 325°F

Sift together the cocoa, flour, malted milk powder and baking powder. In a separate bowl cream together butter and sugar. When nice and fluffy add the syrup. Add the mixture to the flour, cocoa and baking powder mixture then knead together. It may take a while to become doughy but keep at it and it will come together.

Take two layers of parchment paper. Place the ball of dough between the sheets of parchment and squish a little. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about ¼ inch.

Cut the dough into fingers, I use a ruler and sharp knife for this.  I know, I know but it was actually rather therapeutic and it pays off when you sandwich the biscuits together. My finished biscuits are about 6cm long and 4 cm wide. Place onto parchment on a baking tray. Bake for approximately 17 minutes. Remove from oven . Leave in tray until almost cool, then transfer onto wire rack.

Beat together the ingredients for the filling, add 100g of sugar, taste and add more if you feel you need to. Then use to sandwich biscuits together.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water. Remove the bowl from the pan. Dip the biscuit sandwiches into the chocolate until completely covered. Shake off excess chocolate. Place on a rack to cool and harden.

Once hardened, place in a tin, hide somewhere only you know about and scoff the lot. Alternatively provide nearest and dearest with a hot beverage and a  tim tam.

Time for a Tim Tam Slam!

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