Vegan Christmas Tim Tams (Australian Chocolate Cookies)
With this recipe, a small dream I've had for a long time is finally coming true. A few years ago, I was in Australia and fell head over heels for these little cookies called "Tim Tams." And it wasn't just me—pretty much everyone I met there was raving about them. People were obsessed with all kinds of flavors: Tim Tams with dark or milk chocolate, caramel, white chocolate, mint, cherry, coconut, and so much more. My favorite was "Chewy Caramel," and my suitcase was packed to the brim with them on the way home.
Unfortunately, these cookies are tough to come by in Germany—and besides, they're not vegan anyway. So, it was time to try making a vegan version. And why not create a Christmas edition right in time for winter? If you ask me, that's something still missing from the Tim Tam lineup.
A classic Tim Tam consists of two shortbread cookies with chocolate cream in the middle, all coated in a chocolate layer. Do you remember our vegan Kinder Pingui recipe? That recipe gave me some practice in tempering chocolate, which came in very handy here. We've actually already made several veganized sweets and are always thrilled with the results: We've got, for example, vegan Twix, vegan Schokobons, or vegan Hanuta on offer.
But before you dive in, I have to share a fun fact about how to eat Tim Tams, as taught to me by my Australian host family. It's called the Tim Tam Slam: you use the cookie like a straw. Bite off two opposite corners, dip one end into a warm cup of tea or coffee and sip the drink through the cookie. It may sound simple, but it can go wrong quickly! If you draw up too much liquid, the cookie falls apart in your hands; if you don't draw up enough, it stays too crunchy. Finding the perfect balance leaves you with a wonderfully soft cookie that melts on your tongue. It's a matter of taste, of course, but it's always been part of the experience for me.
So give it a try and let us know in the comments if you managed it. We're very excited to hear!
Vegan Christmas Tim Tams (Australian Chocolate Cookies)
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 200g (1.66 cups) all-purpose flour
- 130g (1 stick) cold vegan butter
- 70g (0.33 cups) sugar
- 10g (0.33 oz) cocoa powder
- 5g (0.25 tbsp) gingerbread spice (optional)
- 1 pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 120g (4 oz) dark chocolate
- 0.5 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp sugar syrup
- 40g (1.4 oz) marzipan
- 1 pinch of salt
- 5 tbsp cold plant-based milk
For the glaze:
- 250g (9 oz) vegan dark chocolate
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
For the dough, knead together flour, cold butter, sugar, cocoa powder, gingerbread spice, and salt in a bowl, form it into a ball, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate together with coconut oil, syrup, marzipan, and salt over a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in plant-based milk. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for about 10–15 minutes.
Tip: If the filling becomes too firm, add more plant-based milk. If the mixture is too runny, add more chocolate.
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F (top and bottom heat). Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll it into a rectangle using a rolling pin. The dough should be about 5 millimeters thick. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle a little flour over it. Bake the cookie base for about 16 minutes and let it cool completely. Then, carefully cut it into 32 equal rectangles with a large knife.
Spread two teaspoons of the filling onto one rectangle. Place another rectangle on top and gently press down, ensuring the filling doesn’t squish out, and the cookie doesn’t break.
Chop the chocolate for the coating. Melt two-thirds of it with coconut oil over a double boiler until the mixture reaches 50°C / 120°F. Add the remaining chopped chocolate, allowing it to melt, and let the mixture cool to 32°C / 90°F.
Next, place each Tim Tam on a fork one at a time and dip it entirely into the chocolate bath. Set them on parchment paper to cool.
