Teddy Trouble Tia Maria Tim Tam Treat

       Teddy Trouble TiaMaria Tim Tam Treat with fondant teddy bear

"The weekend started with hedgehogs, but finished with Teddy Bears"

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Hedgehog slices are popular in my home state of Victoria. Hedgehogs are a chocolate unbaked refrigerator slice (bar), mainly comprised of crushed biscuits (cookies). Usually store bought biscuits are used and it's a quick and easy way to use up leftover cookies from the Christmas season.

I was working on delveloping a hedgehog recipe on the weekend that did not contain raw egg; we are "thrill seekers" here in Oz and do eat raw egg in our hedgehogs that tends to cause "dread" in some other countries. 

My thoughts then went to Tim Tams. Australia's national biscuit is the ANZAC, but it's the 'Tim Tam' that is the iconic Aussie biscuit. My very own teddy bear, namely my husband Mark was in trouble this weekend when he offered to drop off eggs and Tim Tam Treats to my best friends house... Mark took the eggs and having second thoughts tucked away the Tim Tam Treats unbeknownst to me back in fridge. Goodness, that's what I like to see at Christmas... no sharing of treats and keeping them for yourself!! 

classic original Tim Tams and dark chocolate Tim Tams

Tim Tams sandwich light chocolate cream, inbetween chocolate malty biscuits that are enrobed in chocolate. They are what I use in today's recipe, but if you can't get Tim Tams go for the biscuit/cookie you think is closest to it. 

inside Tim Tams

Tia Maria Tim Tam Treats

18 standard cupcake cases or 36 mini cases, mixture can alternatively be pressed into a brownie tin.

*note on "raisins" that are used in the recipe... 

Raisins in Australia are larger and stickier than sultanas, if you can't get them chopped dates are a suitable substitute. 

on the right, raisins are larger and stickier than the sultanas on the left. 

Ingredients

150 grams of raisins or chopped dates

3 tablespoons of Tia Maria

400 grams 2 packs (14 oz) Tim Tams or equivalent

300 grams (8.8 oz) dark eating chocolate

150 grams (5.3 oz) butter

150 grams (5.3 oz) roasted walnut or pecan pieces

2 tablespoons sour cream

Method

Put the raisins along with the Tia Maria in a small microwave safe bowl, microwave on medium low in 30 seconds increments until Tia Maria starts to be absorbed into the fruit. Set aside.

Roughly crush Tim Tams in transfer to a mixing bowl.

you want pieces of the biscuits still to be visible

Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stir gently until chocolate is melted. Set aside.

Add walnuts to the Tim Tams in mixing bowl, add sour cream, melted chocolate mixture and Tia Maria soaked fruit. Stir vigourously with a wooden spoon.

Divide mixture between paper cupcake case and press down firmly with the back of a spoon.

*Refrigerate overnight. 

the inside of the Tim Tam treats looks like this

Before serving top the Tim Tam treats top the treats with chocolate icing, melted chocolate or chocolate ganache if desired. 

*the refrigerating overnight step cannot be skipped, the biscuit pieces swell and the treats will be the correct chocolately fudgey consistency. 

Happy baking :)

 You might also be interested in: 

Toblerone dessert in 30 minutes

or try a white chocolate plastique recipe