Gluten Free Caramel Tim Tams

Makes 25. Takes 1.5 hours + 4 hour chilling time.

Because why just have one flavour? Caramel Tim Tams are definitely in the highest tier of Tim Tam flavours. It's pretty much a normal Tim Tam, with caramel added to the inside - but it makes all the difference. The combination of chocolate in caramel is not new, but it's definitely delicious. We've had some hot weather in the U.K. recently and I thought it would be a great idea to make them during a heatwave - I managed it, but it was incredibly messy and I almost got heatstroke. So my top tip for making these is don't make them on a day hotter than 35° celsius, and you'll have a swell time.

This Tim Tam flavour is a little trickier than the normal flavour, so I recommend trying that one out first before conquering thing one. You can find it here.

The tricky part is of course, the caramel. If you haven't made it before I would suggest finding a video on Youtube so you know what to expect. I forgot to take photos of my caramel process but will update this recipe when I do it next time.

I N G R E D I E N T S

For the biscuits

• 120 grams butter

• 1/2 cup of caster sugar

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup of cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 cups of gluten free flour

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum (omit if flour mixture contains this already)

For the filling

• 1 cup icing sugar

• 60 grams of butter

• 1 tbsp of cocoa powder

For the Caramel

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature

• 1/4 cup cream

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the coating

• 225 grams of milk chocolate

• 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
  

M E T H O D

First make the caramel

1. In a sauce pan, heat the sugar on medium low heat until its completely melted, swirling the pan gently every 30 seconds. Do not stir, only swirl! The sugar will clump and then melt. Make sure to watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. This will take about 10 minutes

2. Once the sugar has melted and dissolved into a sticky liquid, remove it from the heat immediately and stir in the butter. It will start to bubble - this is ok!

3. Next, pour in the heavy cream and sea salt and stir until you have a smooth caramel.

4. Pour into a bowl or jar and let it cook completely before using in the Tim Tam.

Make the biscuit and butter cream

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.

2. Add egg and beat again until combined.

3. Sift in cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and xanthan gum.

4. Fold in with wooden spoon until you can form into a ball.

5. Wrap the ball in cling film and place in fridge for 30 minutes.

6. When the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 180° celsius bake and line a tray with baking paper.

7. Dust a flat surface with flour and roll out the dough with a rolling pin until about 0.5 cm thick. You may need to do this in two or three lots, depending on how much space you have.

8. You can either use a rectangle cookie cutter or use a ruler. I went with a ruler because it turns out rectangle cookie cutters are hard to find.

9. Cut the biscuits into 3cm x 6cm rectangles and gently place onto the lined baking tray.

10. Bake for 10 -12 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.

11. While the biscuits are cooking beat together the softened butter, icing sugar, and cocoa powder for the filling. The icing should be malleable with your hands so that you can roll small pieces into a ball.

12. Once the biscuits are cool, pair them together and ice with the chocolate filling. Make an indentation with your finger to create a groove where the caramel will sit. (see below for picture example)

13. Add a teaspoon of cooled caramel to the middle of the groove, being careful not to overflow and then sandwich together with another biscuit on top.

14. Put the biscuits into the fridge.

15. Break the chocolate into a glass bowl over a pot of hot water, and add the coconut oil.

16. Gently stir until all the chocolate is almost melted. Carefully remove bowl from on top of the boiling water and place on a tea towel. Continue stiring until all chocolate has melted.

17. Prepare another tray with baking paper.

Coat with Chocolate

1. Remove the chilled biscuits from the fridge and one by one gently dip into the melted chocolate, covering evenly, then place onto the line tray to set.

2. Repeat until all biscuits are covered and then place into the fridge to set for 4 hours (or overnight). Enjoy! Keep in the fridge for up to a week.