Your ViewsKeep your e-mails pouring in, it's good to know that there are lots of you out there with views and opinions. To help you work out what is what, are now little icons to help you see biscuit related themes. And now you can see at a glance which are the most contested subjects via this graph (requires Flash 6.0 plugin). Please keep your mails coming in to nicey@nicecupofteaandasitdown.com | If you like, you can use this search thingy to find stuff that matches with any of the icons you pick, or use the fantastic free text search, Yay! | Your e-Mails |
Mark and Mandy
Tunnocks Tea Cake Review |
G'day,
We stumbled onto your site today whilst trying to settle an arguement that arose at Morning Tea this morning. Morning Tea is a regular event down here. Not every morning, but little excuse is needed to set one up. Births, retirements, small wins on the lottery, remembering the Queens Birthday etc all qualify as events worthy of a Morning Tea. The formality of Morning Tea can vary considerably but, as a general rule, if people are Standing Up rather than Sitting Down then the event is considered as formal. Indeed, there may even be a "Speech". A short speech appropriate for a Formal retirement Morning Tea might be "Thank you". A longer one might be "Thank you very much". If it is a Sitting Down Morning Tea then any attempt to make a speech would be considered rude. If there is no acceptable reason for having a Morning Tea then colleagues generally have to make their own arrangements to have tea in the morning. But the provision of biscuits and Lamingtons under such circumstances is usually woefully inadequate.
Our arguement was based around trying to establish the identity of a confection consisting of a small circular biscuit base, topped with a dome of marshmallow, the whole being covered in chocolate. Some think there may have been a layer of jam between the biscuit and the marshmallow. I'm not so certain about the jam, but, as we probably had supermarket "own brand" inferior copies (almost certainly from the Co Op), I'm not sure I'm qualified to comment. One colleague who thinks they visited England once, but it may have been Denmark, reckons they were called Twinkies. But that just makes me think it must've been Denmark as no red-braced, stripey shirted son-of-Maggie marketing whizz bang would've come up with anything quite so silly.
Here's hoping you can help.
Mark & Mandy
Hobart
Tasmania |
Nicey replies: Mark,
Thank you for that lovely description of morning tea and the mention of Lamingtons.
The name you seek is simply 'Teacake'. I admit that's not a terribly accurate or descriptive name given their splendour. Also there are flattish currant laden buns that also lay claim to that name.
Here is a picture of some that I took to reveal their inner workings. Burton's I believe, but Lee's a Scottish bakers perhaps make better ones. These have the gelatine based spongey marshmallow and can be safely injected with jam as seen here. The mighty Tunnocks teacake has egg white based mallow which is basically uncooked meringue, and shirks any mauling around with jam.
Closer to you in Tasmania, I'm sure Kiwi bakers Griffins produce Teacakes. |
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Mrs Sarah Mint-Viscount
Kimberley and Chocolate Kimberley Review |
Dear Nicey (and Wifey, and NCOTAASD YMOS),
As I listened to Today FM's Ray D'arcy Show this morning, I was getting very engrossed in the debate that raged - a debate on the nomenclature of that delicious little delicacy which is made by mixing Rice Krispies with melted chocolate, and dividing the mixture out into little paper cases to set.
Now, the many NCOTAASD enthusiasts who don't live in Ireland can't have heard the show, so they won't know that the debate in question raged between those who insist that the perennial party favourite made from chocolate and Rice Krispies should be called Rice Krispie Cakes, and those who are adamant that they are, and always must, be called Rice Krispie Buns.
Guest host Jenny Kelly was very calmly handling the situation, as well she might, for she is usually the producer of the Ray D'arcy show, and the show regularly broadcasts very important and controversial debates such as these. But calm as she was, there was no doubt that this debate was getting heated - the emails and texts sent in by listeners were becoming more terse and aggressive by the minute.
Even without hearing this show, your NCOTAASD readers will readily understand how my enjoyment of this debate rose to all new levels, when none other than your good self was suddenly introduced to weigh in with your expert opinion. But I must say I was deeply surprised by the opinion you gave. Stating that you would call them Rice Krispie Cakes was bad enough, but to assert that you had never even heard of them being called Rice Krispie buns? It was almost too much to bear. And then, to my delight and relief, Jenny announced that the result of the poll was in, and that a resounding majority of the voters, well over 70%, agreed with me in calling them Rice Krispie Buns. Phew! I wasn't crazy after all.
Now, the British and the Irish are usually in full agreement on the subject of Tea, Biscuits and Cakes (or Buns, as the case may be). We're both in favour of them. Lots of Them. Lots and lots of them. But as you had never even heard of Rice Krispie Buns being called buns, and as they are buns to the majority of listeners to one of Ireland's most popular radio shows, I can only conclude that here is an issue which divides these two islands more than the Irish Sea divides us, and perhaps even more than the Jacob's Kimberley divides us.
In light of this, I wonder if we on the Emerald Isle deserve our to have our own icon on the NCOTAASD feedback section, as the French, Canadians and Aussies already do? After all we are the only nation to which you have ascribed a national gene allowing enjoyment of a particular biscuit (the aforementioned Kimberley). A little shamrock, perhaps, which would sit so nicely with the other icons, and make my heart swell with pride!
Mrs Sarah Mint-Viscount |
Nicey replies: Well yes I came to much the same conclusions in the news item I posted after the interview. Anyhow you're right the time has come for a proper Ireland icon. I'm normally fairly reticent about dishing out icons based purely on geopolitical boundries but as you all seem to have this weird rice krispie bun thing going on over there in addition to Kimberleys I think you've finally earned it (its a pity you had to mention the others as protocol dictates that they need to go up too (Also the Welsh will be after me again (...oh you left out the Kiwis))). |
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Paul Fairall
Dad's Cookies Review |
Hi there,
I was an avid eater of Dads Cookies as a child in the 1950’s and until they went AWOL in the 70’s. Imagine my delight when I re-discovered them on a recent trip to Canada. I had intended to buy a load before coming back, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, and a distinct lack of time, it just didn’t happen. I just read a write up that you guys did about them a couple of months back. However is there a grocery organisation, or indeed the company themselves, to whom I could write in order to obtain some more. Not just a packet, but a whole box will do for a start! ( my sister also remembers them and also wants some if we can get them into the UK). The tourist shop in Covent Garden sounds not the best move!
Any help very much appreciated,
Kind regards,
Paul Fairall |
Nicey replies: Paul,
Really the shop in Covent Garden seems to cater for all those Canadians, Kiwis and South Africans who are resident in London and prepared to pay for some reminders of home. It's a bit like a horrendously expensive cornershop that sells tee shirts too. There is one in the next street that caters exclusively for Australians, and is a good place to get hold of exotic Tim Tams. Apart from this though we haven't come across another source of Dad's cookies in the UK. |
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Garry Hrustinsky
Tim Tam vs Penguin Review |
Hello Mr. Nicey,
I have just had a dig through your archive and found the “Tim Tam vs Penguin” debate.
After living in London for several years, I do have to say that co-workers who tried to convert me to penguins were unsuccessful. Whilst they are pleasant enough (if tim tams aren’t immediately at hand), for me it is still like comparing pot noodles to a lovely home cooked lamb roast. National pride (being Australian myself) has nothing to do with it. The flavour is simply superior in a tim tam.
As a little bit of an update, I thought you might like to know that there has been (yet another) product extension on the range. Amongst the several new flavours available in Melbourne, I saw black forest. According to people that I have spoken to, this is one of the best flavours they have released to date.
Also, to throw a slight spanner in the works over this debate, my lovely wife, who hails from distant New Zealand shores, introduced me to chit chats (produced by Griffin’s). Looking a tad fancier than either penguins or chit chats, they have a zig-zag chocolate line running across the top. I have tried them and reckon that they do give plain tim tams a run for their money. Unfortunately I haven’t found any shops around Melbourne that stock them.
Anyhow, keep up the good work.
Regards,
Garry Hrustinsky
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Maddalena Feliciello
ANZAC biscuit Review |
My Dear Nicey & TW
Tempted by your lyrical review on the launch of the Anzac Biscuit I duly hunted them out at Sainsburys' on Sunday.
I am now hopelessly addicted to Golden Syrup and Oats.
This is bad, really bad, I am eating them even without a cup of Yorkshires Finest to hand. I woke up thinking about them today and had three for breakfast. Then made the tea and had two more.
Luckily, unlike other addictive substances currently proscribed by the good law of this land, it is unlikely that I should be tempted to introduce them to others and gain their wide eyed and drooling compliance (could they be bent to my will with Classical Conditioning.....alarm clock -biscuit, alarm clock - biscuit?)
Eve would not offer these to Adam.
They are MINE, all MINE.
should I thank you....hmmnnn?!
Who the hell wants to be a size 6 - 8 anyway?
M :-)
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