But when Sarah of Smart B****s, Trashy Books (a great site for lovers of romance novels) posted on Twitter today how awesome Tim Tams are and asked what else Australia was hiding from her, I felt compelled to reminisce and share some of the more wonderful culinary gems I miss from my childhood. So here goes.
Anzac biscuits: First, biscuits are cookies. Or sometimes crackers, but mostly cookies. ANZAC stands for the Australia-New Zealand Army Corps, a joint military force that fought in World War I and was largely used as cannon fodder by the English in charge of operations. (Possible author bias alert.) The main ingredients are rolled oats, coconut, and golden syrup, a thick syrup made from processing sugar that is lighter in color and flavor than molasses. You can read about the supposed reason these biscuits got their name here, or try a recipe here. Crisp, slightly chewy and very sweet, I have found only one cookie remotely like them in the States, and that from a small local bakery in Boulder, CO. (If I could remember the name of it, I would list and link... sorry!)
Sausage rolls: Usually pork sausage with herbs and spices rolled in puff pastry; in Australia they are usually somewhere around 2" (5cm) square and 1.5 - 2" high. This looks like an authentic recipe if you want to try them yourself.
Meat pies & pasties: Like sausage rolls, these are definitely of British heritage, and may vary some according to local or family tradition. But overall, I think more consistent within Australia than outside it. I am (mostly) vegetarian, but I make exceptions for these when I travel to Australia - and in the U.S., I am figuring out veg approximations with Boca veggie grounds and similar meat substitutes. Meat pies are small enough to fit in one hand (but they get messy that way), and usually have ground beef and gravy, but I've seen other varieties in airport cafes. Very popular at football games, also as take-away snacks from milk bars. Pasties - in my family at least - are more of a home-cooked entree, cooked in a large baking dish with pie crust below and above a filling of ground beef, shredded parsnips and carrots. Extra yummy with tomato sauce (ketchup) on top.
Vanilla slice: A delicious dessert or sweet snack consisting of a firm vanilla custard between two layers of puff pastry, topped with vanilla icing. Commonly available from bakeries and milk bars. Apparently also known as "mille-feuille" or Napoleon pastry (I'm learning a lot from Wikipedia today); this is similar to what I remember, but with powdered sugar on top instead of icing.
Jaffas are a brand of candy (lolly) with a small chocolate ball about 1/2" (1cm) in diameter, covered in a bright red, orange-flavored candy shell. Super delicious.
And lamingtons are a square sponge cake dipped in a thin chocolate sauce/icing and covered in dried coconut, sometimes with cream or jam between two layers. They even have their own Appreciation Society!
The good news for American lovers of Australian treats is that Tim Tams are now available in the U.S. through Pepperidge Farm (though I haven't seen the dark chocolate variety yet, unfortunately). The bad news is that I have yet to find any of these others available in Denver, Colorado. If you find them, let me know!
P.S. Shout-out to Lisa who reads my blog and actually came to my church recently! Hi, Lisa!
P.P.S. I received no free products for this blog post. However, I would not refuse them if they showed up at my door.
