TIM TAM TEMPTATIONS - an in-depth report by our food columnist (aka Susan)
Some things the Aussies do way better than we do. A case in point is the Tim Tam, Australia's answer – if there ever was a question – to the Oreo. Like Oreos, Tim Tams come in different versions, such as caramel, latte or orange, which are the different fillings, but at heart, a Tim Tam is two rectangular chocolate biscuits put together with (originally) a chocolate filling and then covered with chocolate. Even though they don't have a dark chocolate version, these are seriously good cookies/bikkies. And how can you resist them when the labels on the packets exhort you to “Wantme, Hideme, Enjoyme, Loveme”. Luckily for our waistlines, Robb and I never even looked at these cookies until recently. But a few weeks ago, I did. I had heard they were the iconic Aussie bikkies, and thought we'd better give them a try. I also had, at the back of my mind, the thought that they might be handy to have around for the young visitors we were expecting. Melissa, the daughter of good friends was travelling in Australia with her husband, Darcy and their friends, Mat and Sarah, and were planning to stay with us while they were in Cairns.
But first, I had to check the ingredients. You know how a lot of products these days say they are chocolate, but when you read the fine print it turns out they are only chocolate-flavoured edible oils and chemicals, and to my taste, not worth the calories. Happily, chocolate is high up on the list of ingredients so I bought a couple of packets.
When Melissa arrived she noted that we had Tim Tams and commented on how good they were. She was surprised that we hadn't tried them, as it seems that they are an integral part of the group's diet. Then it was my turn to be surprised, as I was under the impression that Melissa ate a very healthy diet, and eschewed junk food. But not Tim Tams, which perhaps emphasizes their irresistibility. During our Tim Tam discussions, Melissa noted that the challenge of Tim Tams, when there were two people around, was that there were 9 in a packet, so there was a fight over who was going to get 5 and who would get only 4. The solution, I gathered, which is what Melissa did when she was at University in Australia for a year, was to eat the whole packet alone, yourself and at once. As I said, these are seriously good bikkies. And you wouldn't want to take a chance on them going off, or being eaten by someone else, or attracting ants, or whatever. Melissa's favourite is the caramel kind and they are very good but I'd be hard-pressed to choose between them and the original.
Robb and I have been able to refrain from eating a whole packet at one go (I'm pleased to report)- with age comes wisdom? However, I must admit that it is a challenge to stop at one cookie, even though I manage to do that with most other cookies. Tim Tams are quite easy to break in half, so I often have one, then, compromise with a half, but unless my willpower is topped up at 100% that day, I take pity on the lonely little ½ Tim Tam and send it to meet its fate, in my stomach, with its mates. We are both happier that way.
Now, I'll bet everyone will be expecting me to bring back a case or two for them to try. I'll do my best, but no promises. I asked Melissa if she was going to take some home to her Mum. Without hesitation, both she and Darcy replied, “No, they'd never make it!”, even if they took several packets. And I understand. It's not customs and immigration that we are worried about. It's a long flight, you know. And despite the warning on the packet to “Hideme”, the other advice “Wantme, Enjoyme, Loveme” will always win out. As I said, these are seriously good cookies.
The national cookie of Australia.....
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