Tim Tams

Have you ever heard of Tim Tams?

Labeled as "Australia's favorite cookie" and introduced to American consumers less than ten years ago, the Tim Tam is a fantastic little indulgence consisting of two chocolate biscuits sandwiching a light, malted chocolate filling and finished with a milk chocolate coating. It is heavenly, especially if you are fond of chocolate. I was first introduced to this delightful treat by Roydon, a pilot hailing from New Zealand who grew up on Tim Tams and seems to have made it his life's mission to introduce ignorant Americans to the wonders of this cookie treat by bringing a package or two with him to every dinner party, family gathering, or general meeting of two or more people.

And speaking of Roydon, he's really not a random New Zealander who feeds me cookies every now and then, but rather a soon-to-be relative. Just this past weekend, he proposed to my sister Sophia at the grotto on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. And she said yes!

Aren't they cute?

I'm really happy for Sophie and her life of happiness ahead, but I'm also really glad for me and my stomach - we have access to a lifetime supply of Tim Tams. Because these babies just might be my new favorite cookie.

After first trying Tim Tams, I knew I had to figure out how to make them. And figure it out I did, although they were quite the time-consuming little project. This really upset Lucy who gets excited anytime I start working with chocolate and had to wait literally hours to finally eat a cookie. First, you have to make the biscuit dough which takes five minutes. The dough needs to be rolled very thin between parchment paper and then refrigerated for a few hours so it is easier to work with. Next, the dough needs to be cut into cute little rectangles that are the exact same size. Being a meticulous individual, I actually got a ruler out for this part and while I got those rectangles fairly uniform, I found it all very tedious and frustrating especially when the dough started to warm up and squish together when I tried to transfer one of the cut shapes to a baking sheet.

Once cut, the rectangles are baked until firm. Then they must cool completely, during which time you make the malted chocolate butter filling - which holy cow, I could eat with a spoon, it was so good! After each cookie is filled and sandwiches, refrigerate it to chill while you make the chocolate coating. Once the chocolate coating is made, dip each cookie individually in it until completely covered and then set aside to firm up. Once all the cookies are dipped, they all must be chilled to ensure the chocolate sets. THEN, my friends, you  may eat one. It's a long process, but well worth the effort, especially if you like your chocolate.

While it is far easier to buy these cookies at Target - Roydon confessed that he can buy them there - this really is a fun project if you're into multi-step baking. I found it not-so-fun just because the children expected to be eating cookies within 30 minutes of the announcement that I was making these and thus kept bugging me for hours during the process asking me if they could eat one. Not really an issue with the cookies themselves, more to do with the fact that I have no patience (and neither do my kids, apparently!).

Homemade Tim Tams
from The Sugar Hit

Note: For a more traditional flavor, use regular cocoa powder and milk chocolate for your tim tams. I used Dutch-processed cocoa powder and dark chocolate because that's what I had on hand and I tend to prefer dark chocolate myself. Both forms are delicious here.

For the Biscuits:
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 whole large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch of salt

For the Filling:
4 ounces unsalted butter softened, 1 stick
1 cup powdered confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon malted milk powder

For the Coating: 
7 ounces milk chocolate chopped
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl, add the egg and continue beating until the egg is incorporated and the mixture lightens in color. Add the cocoa powder and beat until smooth and no lumps appear. Add the flour and salt until fully incorporated. The dough will be very soft. Turn the dough onto a piece of parchment paper or wax paper. Top with another piece of parchment paper, and roll the dough out into a large rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Put the dough on a baking tray and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Take the dough out of the freezer and slice it into 28 small (1 1/4 x 2 1/2 inch) rectangles. Separate the rectangles and spread them out on the prepared baking trays. Bake for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, cream the butter until soft, add in the remaining ingredients and beat until well combined. Spread a heaping teaspoon of filling onto half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies, then place in the refrigerator to chill while you melt the chocolate for the coating.

For the coating, place the chocolate and coconut oil in a heat-proof bowl and melt together in the microwave on High (100%) in 30-second bursts, stirring well after each burst. Once the chocolate is mostly melted, remove and stir gently until smooth. You may also melt the chocolate on the stove over a double broiler.

Take a chilled cookie and carefully coat it in the chocolate.

Chill in the refrigerator and then dip one more time through the melted chocolate if desired. Place back on the baking trays and chill until the chocolate is solid.