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Your e-Mails

Slappy	hello. i read your article regarding the uruguayan (?) biscuit situation, and was literally surprised to hear the use of the term 'dolce de leche' used about this "sweet milk filling" that fills many South American biscuits and cakes. I have an immigrant father, who in his foreign methods and peculiar habits often sings the praises of the said 'dolce de leche' and includes it as a major part of his daily after-meal-with-tea rituals. I was glad to hear the author, whos name escapes me now, enjoyed the product of my fathers origins (even thought my father is from chile, not uruguay) and even more glad to be able to pass on the fact that dolce de leche can be home-made! Its something to do with putting un-opened tins of condensed milk in a pressure cooker for while, i don't know exactly what, but if the author wishes me to i can enquire as to the exact timings and milk-types. i hope i have shone a little sunlight where there is little.
Biscuit Man	Alan Smith is probably reminiscing about 'Thruppenny', a foil-wrapped biscuit exactly as described from our old friends Burton's. The name came, unsurprisingly, from the price that it was sold at, and it was a staple product of many a school tuck-shop. The snag was that with a name like 'Thruppenny', it was very difficult to ever take a price increase without destroying one of the brand characteristics, ie its name. So it was discontinued. It re-emerged in the early 1980's with a new name 'Bingo!', but never caught on and was discontinued again. The name 'Bingo!' was re-used on an aerated chocolate countline that can still be found lurking on the lesser-shopped reaches of the chocolate biscuit fixture. Looking forward to seeing you on TV tomorrow! Biscuit Man!
	Nicey replies: Once again Biscuit Man comes up with the goods. And yes watch out for me on Richard and Judy tomorrow 5/6/2003.
Alan Smith	Nicey, My wife and I both remember from our childhood's a fully chocolate covered wheatmeal digestive biscuit that came individually wrapped in blue and silver foil (red and silver for the plain chocolate version). I used to be able to buy one during break-time at primary school. Does anyone else remember these, if so can you remember what they were called and who made them? Most importantly of all, can you still buy them? Alan Smith PS. We're not talking Viscounts here.
	Nicey replies: Yes that definitely stirs my memory, but not enough to remember what they were.
Brian Barratt	Esteemed Mr Nicey:   The message about charcoal biscuits roused a long-lost memory of my childhood in the 1940s (in England, which is south of Scotland). My Dad used to eat charcoal biscuits for the good of his digestion, declaring that they absorbed or otherwise nullified the effects of gas. You know the sort of gas I mean.   I remember trying them. Small, oval, chunky and black. Not a displeasant taste but not exactly addictive.   Don't know if we fed them to the dogs. My brother had three dogs, one after the other, and they all mysteriously disappeared. One of our chooks also mysteriously disappeared. I had developed a close bond with her, and nobody dare tell me that we ate her for Sunday dinner. Makes you wonder about those dogs.   I remain, dear Sir, you 'umble servant, etc.
	Nicey replies: They sound a lot like the things I use on our BBQ.
Heidi Thomas Foxs Chocolate Viennese Review	During the 1970's, my father had the contract for unblocking the drains at Jacob's Biscuits in Liverpool. He was regularly telephoned in the small hours and summoned to the factory as a matter of urgency. Next day, we children would awaken to the Christmas-like spectacle of boxes of Clubs at the bottom of our beds. These had apparently been presented to my father with the nightwatchman's compliments. The contents were always flawed and sometimes actually mutant, with defects ranging from crushing and treading injuries (footprints visible in the foil) to the classic complete omission of biscuit matter, frequently cited on these pages. For some reason this happened a great deal with the orange flavoured variety, and only very rarely with the mint. My favourite mistake was an unsurpassed clump of approximately twenty four amalgamated Fruit Clubs, lavishly coated in chocolate, but set in a formless heap. We had to hack bits off it with a rolling pin, although, as my Grandma pointed out, They Tasted The Same. I used to ask my father how such anarchy came to be visited on the production line but he always just shrugged and said it was nothing to with him, his department was the drains. Incidentally, I was pleased to see that you have just reviewed the Fox's Viennese - this has recently become my biscuit of choice. I would recommend keeping them in the refrigerator, especially during warmer spells. This greatly improves the texture of the filling and the overall mouth-feel, and adds interest to the "bite".
	Nicey replies: Heidi, Woo, fantastic tales of Clubs of old there. Biscuit factories must be thrilling places to work, even if it is to do with drains. The monster 24 fruit Club thing should have been cast in bronze as a monument of some sort. I think it would have made a splendid statue to put outside their front gate. Or it could have been given to visiting foreign dignitaries. Still good job you got in there first and mullered it with a rolling pin. Glad you liked the Viennese review I enjoyed the 5 or ten minutes it took to completely review the pack.
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