Tim Tams

If I were still writing for the now defunct but still funny snackyousilly.com, Tim Tams would receive 4 out of 4 stars. This places the delicious chocolate biscuits on the level of Whatchamacallits and Har Gow.

Tim Tams are chocolate biscuits (Australian for cookie) made by Arnott’s Biscuits. I was alerted to their existence prior to my arrival in the Antipodes by my good friend Robert, who explained that Tim Tams are the ubiquitous Australian cookie, much like the Oreo in America, but much better. He’s correct.

Tim Tams are a national treasure, much like vegemite, but far less contentious. And it is a travesty of international justice that these tasty snacks are not available anywhere else. This seems particularly unjust, given that the treat was named after the winning horse of the 1958 Kentucky Derby, held as always in the United States of America.

Composed of two layers of chocolate malted biscuit, a light chocolate filling, and a textured chocolate coating, the Tim Tam first delivers a light crunch, before softening with the melting of its chocolate exoskeleton. The gooeyness of the biscuit can be enhanced by performing a Tim Tam Slam, in which opposing corners are bit off and the biscuit is used as a straw for drinking milk, tea, or hot chocolate. Interestingly, Arnott’s chose to market this technique, but under the name Tim Tam Suck. They certainly don’t.