Matt Moran’s Chocolate Cream Biscuits

This is Matt Moran’s homage to that great Australian bikkie, the Tim Tam. Although there have been all sorts of new flavours added to the range over the years, for Matt it’s all about the original. Here’s his version:

The Biscuit:

• 160 g (5½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 40 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sieved
• 40 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) good quality cocoa powder, sieved
• 80 g (2¾  oz/⅓ cup) unsalted butter, diced
• 1 egg
• 100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) each dark chocolate buttons and milk chocolate buttons

The Chocolate Cream Filling:

• 100 ml (3½ fl oz) single (pure/pouring ) cream
• 80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) dark chocolate buttons*

Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F) and lightly grease a baking tray. To prepare the biscuit dough, sieve the flour, icing sugar and cacao powder into a bowl and add a pinch of salt. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Mix in the egg to make a dough, form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to rest.

While the biscuit dough rests, make the chocolate cream filling. Bring the cream to the boil in a small saucepan over a medium–high heat, remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stand for 5 minutes, then stir until the chocolate is smooth and combined. Refrigerate until beginning to firm, then transfer to a piping bag and set aside.

Roll out the biscuit dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 5 mm (¼ inch) thick 20 x 50 cm (8 x 20 inch) rectangle, then cut into 4 x 8 cm (1½ x 3 inch) rectangles (use a ruler to help keep them even). Place the rectangles onto the prepared tray, bake for 10–15 minutes until crisp, then cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare the chocolate coating, melt all the chocolate buttons in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water), stirring occasionally until smooth.

To assemble, pipe the chocolate filling over half of the biscuits, then sandwich with the remaining biscuits. Dip each of the chocolate sandwiches into the melted chocolate, then place on a tray lined with baking paper until set.

Serve with a nice hot cup of tea.

*Good quality chocolate for this recipe is a must and if you can find it a single origin dark chocolate will make this the ultimate chocolate snack. 70% chocolate will give a rich chocolate flavour.

Recipe and images from Australian Food Coast + Country by Matt Moran, published by Murdoch Books.