When a sommelier comes for supper – and Tim Tam truffles recipe
Until I was given a packet of them, I had no idea of the existence of Tim Tams. Then I started Googling (“are Tim Tams like Penguin biscuits?”) which unleashed a storm of righteous indignation and I realised they are very dear to Australians. The Tim Tams were part of a small box of goodies from Australian winemaker Jacob’s Creek, which also included melon, mango and Vegemite, for a special menu. Friends were coming over for supper, I was cooking, and Jacob’s Creek’s sommelier Abhinav was bringing the wine.
Wine drinking has changed a lot during my lifetime. When I was growing up, wine was a mysterious and expensive thing that posh people drank. You needed deep pockets, an understanding of French and lots of fancy wine paraphernalia like decanters. Things started to change when some cheap (very dubious) bottles from Europe started to creep onto supermarket shelves (I’m looking at you Liebfraumilch). Australian producers, such as Jacob’s Creek, really drove the wine revolution. They simplified the language of wine through releasing single varietals (wines labelled by grape varieties like Shiraz, Chardonnay, Merlot) and making it accessible, consistent and affordable through bulk production.
Their success means that we now take those familiar names for granted. Jacob’s Creek has started a new movement called ‘Our Table‘ seeking to rekindle those simpler days of enjoying a glass of wine and good food with friends, and perhaps finding a few surprises in those ubiquitous wines. Having a sommelier to dinner sounds a bit stuffy but I knew that Abhinav was far from it, having met him at another Our Table event. He received a warm welcome which had nothing to do with bringing wine and being young and handsome (ahem).
I’d set the table in the garden with crumpled white linen, storm lamps, white Bougainvillea snipped from the bushes and some bunches of grapes draped over glass stands and onto napkins. Jacob’s Creek had printed my menu very elegantly and Abhinav chose wines to match the courses. We sipped citrussy Reserve Riesling with chilled bowls of melon gazpacho. “Steak on the barbie” came from OBE Organic via Prime Gourmet. Grilled Vegemite aubergines, roasted Mediterranean vegetables, sweetcorn (from the Farmers Market), and fluffy baked potatoes came with the steak and was paired with Double Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon. This is an unusual wine as it spends part of its life maturing in whisky barrels adding slight smokiness and vanilla to the deep black fruits and spice..
Then it was showing off time with three layers of meringue, filled with ‘margarita cream’, covered in ripe mango slices. The Tim Tam truffles also made an appearance. Briefly.
A glass of sparkling wine with chocolate made everyone happy – Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir is made using the same method as in Champagne plus two of the same grape varieties . Abhinav told us how well the soft, toasty bubbles and creamy chocolate went together. We agreed by toasting our glasses to a lovely evening round ‘our table’ under the palm trees.
Tim Tam Truffles
A delicious treat at the end of a meal or to give as a gift. Meltingly chocolatey with a slight crunch from Australia's favourite biscuit.
Ingredients
- 1 X 200g packet milk chocolate Tim Tam biscuits or equivalent (Penguins are the most similar in the UK)
- 140g soft cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)
- 180g milk chocolate
- 40g melted milk chocolate for drizzling optional
Directions
- Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until ground into smallish crumbs.
- Add cream cheese and Frangelico*. Whizz briefly until combined.
- Place into the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up a bit.
- Using a teaspoon, measure out small pieces and roll into truffle-sized balls (or larger if you prefer). Place on a tray lined with baking paper place and put back into the fridge for a further 20 minutes.
- Break up the milk chocolate into bowl and microwave on medium for 3-4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is melted. Alternatively, melt in a bowl suspended over a saucepan of simmering water.
- Put a few balls at a time into the bowl of melted chocolate and use teaspoons to roll them around until they are completely coated.
- Remove balls with teaspoons allowing the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place onto the baking paper lined tray.
- Put back into the fridge to set (about 1 hour).
- Melt the dark chocolate until quite liquid. Use a piping bag or teaspoon to make stripes or patterns on the outside. Leave to cool and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
I made these again for book club this week. Whoever chooses the title hosts the discussion and tries to theme the food to the story. Because my book choice was Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi, I cooked Iraqi fish (samak bil tamata) and lentil salad (zalatat addas) from the Iraqi Table by Raghad Al Safi. I’d made the Tim Tam truffles to photograph for this blog post – but then we remembered that Elishva (a central character) was, throughout the tale, being begged to join her daughters in Australia where they had fled during the war. My subconscious must have planned it.
I bought and cooked the food, Jacob’s Creek supplied the sommelier and the wine for this supper as part of Our Table. I was under no obligation to publish anything but had such good fun decided to share it.
My Custard Pie 
Oh my! I don’t think that they will last very long as they sound delicious, especially with the biscuit crunch!
Oh wow! This sounds and looks like an amazing evening and those Tim Tam truffles sound delicious. Will definitely try these! Saved x
Sounds like an amazing dinner! And those truffles… yum!
This looks like an incredibly festive evening. How do I get an invitation to your next one? Beautiful tablescape, too. I don’t have that gene… Tim Tams are definitely happening in our house soon!
what a festive treat and perfect timing during the holiday. I am always looking for new candy recipes!
Sally as an ‘almost Aussie’ my Citizenship ceremony occurs next month. I endorse Tim Tams, especially the rum & raisin ones incased in dark chocolate. Tim Tams come in many flavours than the humble Penguin and has a richer more luxurious flavour 🙂
But have you tried the Tim Tam Slam? May have to get a supply of Tim Tams to try the truffles, which sound delicious.
Anne, my husband Brian has done the Tim Tam Slam it sounds a little gross and thankfully he has gotten out of the habit :-).
Sally, what is the cake on the table that you made? It looks delicious.
P
x
What a delightful experience, I really enjoyed reading through this post and looking at the photos. Must be an amazing evening and planning and cooking for it must have been even more exciting!
What a beautifully set table and memorable event! Those Tim Tam balls look as though they’d disappear in minutes! I’ll have to figure out what’s similar to Tim Tam biscuit in Canada.
Oh, wow! These truffles surely look enticing! 🙂 I’m sure they tasted equally beautiful too.
Oh I wish I was there to experience your hospitality. The table and dishes look spectacular. And your simple but beautifully-made truffles – so good! I think I can source form Tim Tams here in Edinburgh, too!