Weekend Cooking: Tim Tam Slam

Last week I confessed that I had never seen a Star Wars movie from beginning to end. Without actually meaning to, I am today posting a second instalment of Things I've Never Done. Before that though, I want to mention that I am currently hosting a giveaway of a book that those of who like to read foodie fiction might like. It is international so anyone can enter, so head on over to find out all the details of how to win a copy of Vanity Fare by Megan Caldwell - baked goods and literature in one book!

Anyway, back to Tim Tam Slams. Last night I finished reading Free-Falling by Nicola Moriarty which I thoroughly enjoyed. For my post today, I am sharing the quote which got me thinking about Tim Tam Slams.

"That was amazing!" Evelyn slid the packet of Tim Tams across the table to offer one to Bazza, then sat back in her chair, taking a sip of peppermint tea and letting the exhilaration of the day wash over her. They were relaxing in the staffroom at SkyChallenge. The staff there had accepted her as a regular and were wandering in and out of the tiny kitchen, giving her congratulatory little pats on the shoulder as though it were perfectly normal for her to be relaxing in their room.

"McGavin, I knew you were going to love it!" Bazza dunked his Tim Tam into his coffee and then slurped the liquid through it, shoving it into his mouth just before it collapsed. "There's an art to this, you know?" he mumbled through his full mouth.

"To skydiving? Of course there is. That's why I did all that training."

"Nah, not to jumping. You jump, you count, you pull the cord, done. No, to drinking your coffee through a Tim Tam. You have to get the timing absolutely spot-on to avoid losing it in your cup - but you can't eat it too early, otherwise the whole thing isn't soaked through. You try it."

"Bazza, I have no intention at all of drinking my peppermint tea through a Tim Tam."

"Whoa, did you just call me Bazza? Looks like taking the leap all on your lonesome has finally loosened you up a bit, McGavin. I didn't know you were capable of using an actual nickname. Anyway, you have to try out the Tim Tam thing. It's in your contract." He folded his arms in an unsuccessful attempt to look menacing. Despite the shaved head and eyebrow ring, Bazza's warm eyes and cheeky grin meant he just couldn't pull it off.

"In my contract?' She raised her eyebrows at him.

"That's right. When you signed all the forms to start up your training, you agreed to take part in the official Post Skydiving Come Back Down to Earth Tim Tam Ritual. You're legally bound. Please, pick up your Tim Tam and take your position." Bazza demonstrated this by grabbing another biscuit from the pack and holding it above his coffee.

Evelyn laughed and gave in. She picked one up and held it above her mug in imitation of Bazza. A couple of staff members had come into the kitchen for a drink and stopped to watch.

"Right, first you take a bite from the bottom-left corner like this." He munched away the corner, then added hurriedly, "But don't take too much - all you want to get is a good clean entry point for your beverage. Next, flip your Tim Tam and take a similar bite from the corner diagonally opposite."

She did as she was told, finding herself laughing at his serious tone. Goodness, this boy has turned me into a giggling schoolgirl.

"Place the top bitten corner into your mouth like so, lower the Tim Tam into your chosen beverage so that the bitten corner sits just on the surface, and then suck." He proceeded to slurp up another mouthful of his coffee and then shove the Tim Tam in. "Right, your turn!" he said thickly through the biscuit..

Evelyn pursed her lips awkwardly around the top of the Tim Tam and then lowered her face down to her mug of tea. She began to suck but reeled back as too much of the hot liquid flooded her mouth, burning her tongue. Meanwhile, the Tim Tam completely disintegrated, showering the table with mushy bits of chocolate biscuit as she flailed about, waving her hand at her mouth. "It'th too hot, too hot!" she yelled, holding her tongue and dancing around. Bazza and the other staff members fell about laughing and, despite burning her tongue, Evelyn couldn't help joining in. It was all just so ridiculous. As she watched all the young boys snorting in hysterics at her, a memory swam to the surface that she thought she'd all but forgotten.

So, yes, my confession today is that I have never done a Tim Tam Slam. Given how rarely I drink hot beverages these days it probably isn't a surprise that I haven't done one recently but to have never done at all is!

The things I force myself to do for blogging

More surprisingly, I just realised today that despite blogging about all sorts of things for more than 7 years, I apparently have never, ever mentioned Tim Tams on this blog. I was quite rightly chastised on Twitter for being unAustralian as a result of making this confession!

For those who do not know what a Tim Tam is, they are basically the unofficial biscuit of Australia. They consist of chocolate cream sandwiched between chocolate biscuits and then smothered in chocolate. Originally they were only available in one flavour but these days you can get all sorts of different flavours like white chocolate and double coated, honeycomb and more, but the original is still the best! Structurally they look similar to Penguin biscuits that were available in the UK when I lived there (I have no idea if you can still get them or not) but Tim Tams just taste so much better.

Just for fun, here is a video of a Tim Tam Slam being performed.

 

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