Sunday, 25 December 2011

• The Tim Tam Slam

  This is a guest post from CakeSpy.

  

  So, I have a friend named Julie.

  Julie's pretty great. There are many reasons why, but this week, two in particular stand out: first, the cookies she made the other day: malted corn flake cookies, inspired by Christina Tosi of MilkBar and author of Milk . And she shared these delicious cookies with me.

  Two: Today, she introduced me to an activity known as the Tim Tam Slam. 

  What's a Tim Tam Slam, you ask? Prepare to be amazed.

  
  

  To understand the Slam, first, you must know what a Tim Tam is. It's a confection that hails from Australia, manufactured by a company called Arnott's. It is composed of two layers of chocolate malted biscuit, separated by chocolate cream filling, and coated in a thin layer of textured chocolate.

  And it's a popular treat. According to Arnott's, around 35 million packs are sold each year. Like, whoa.

  
  

  How was it invented? Per this article, inventor Ian Norris "first thought of the Tim Tam in 1958 while on a world trip for the company, searching for new ideas. In Britain, he came upon the Penguin, a type of chocolate-coated biscuit sandwich. "I thought that was not a bad idea for a biscuit ... we'll make a better one," he recalled."

  Where'd it get that funny name? Per the treat's official website, "Tim Tam biscuits were named after a horse that won the Kentucky Derby! In 1958 Ross Arnott attended the race day and decided ‘Tim Tam’ was the perfect name for his new biscuit."

  OK, OK. So now you are acquainted with the Tam. But what about the Slam? As I learned here, it is "a tradition Down Under of dunking and sucking tea through a chocolate biscuit." 

  As I further learned on Wikipedia, 

  Opposite corners of the Tim Tam are bitten off, one end is submerged in the drink, and the drink sucked through the biscuit. The crisp inside biscuit is softened and the outer chocolate coating begins to melt.

  Ideally, the inside of the biscuit should collapse with the outside remaining intact long enough for the liquid to reach the mouth. Refrigerating or similar processes help to preserve the outside coating while allowing the inside of the biscuit to dissolve into a warm, creamy centre. The thicker chocolate coating on the Double Coat Tim Tam offers a more stable structure to prevent a premature collapse. The caramel centre of the Chewy Caramel variety helps to hold the biscuit together for a slightly longer time - contributing to enhanced enjoyment. When the biscuit structure collapses it is typically pushed into the mouth. This activity is often performed for show in front of large groups of people.

  I know, I know. The best sporting event ever, right!? I don't know about you, but I am pretty ready to try it out myself. But not just because it sounds delicious...because celebrities do it, too:

  For more, visit the Tim Tam website!

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