Biscuits have been falling out of fashion for a while now.
When I was growing up, all the adults would sit down and have a cuppa and a biscuit at least once a day without fail. Now it’s a takeaway coffee on the run.
And when I was working in a supermarket in my dim, dark youth, those mixed ‘assorted’ packets flew off the shelves. Now they are assigned to the bottom shelf of supermarkets, a tragic and sure sign they are a poor seller.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t miss those biscuits that no longer grace our shelves. Maybe they bring back memories of your nanna, or perhaps just a gentler time when having morning tea meant sitting down for a chat with those you loved.
So here are some of those biscuits we miss.
Lattice
The flaky nature of the lattice made it both hard to eat and delicious. Crumbs, crumbs everywhere. They came with a sheen of something that was probably just sugar, which also added to the delicious factor. I’m hungry now, why did they discontinue them?
Lattices were the preferred topping of the lazy cook. You could make a proper vanilla slice with pastry, or you could just layer that custard with a couple of packets of Lattice biscuits. All done.
We found this recipe for making your own Lattice biscuits where you cover a Sao biscuit with sugar glaze. I’m sorry, but just let it go. That’s a hard no from me.
Honey Jumbles
Kind of like a flat éclair, Honey Jumbles combined the taste of honey, obviously, with a hint of ginger and lavished some pink or white icing on the top. There was no difference in the taste of that icing, but of course everyone had a favourite. Mine was white, even though no-one was asking.
Very kindly, despite Arnott’s discontinuing the biscuit, they have shared a version of the recipe and you can find it here.
The original recipe probably contained quite a few more chemical preservatives and additives, so this version is probably better for you. Or as good for you as a sugar, butter and flour combo can be.
Honey Snaps
While we are in the honey range, who remembers Honey Snaps? Like Ginger Snaps, but with honey. Had a bit of coconut to round out the flavour and density.
You’d have to have a good memory because they were discontinued in 1998. Apparently, they were a pain to make, so when sales dropped, out the door they went.
Also good for making a vanilla version of chocolate ripple cake.
Jaffa Cake
Not a cake, but they were a pretty good biscuit. For the uninitiated, they are a spongy biscuit, topped with orange jam, or a jam-like substance, and then dipped in chocolate.
The Jaffa Cake is an English favourite and they have made a return to supermarket shelves with the expansion of the McVities brand into Australia. Also available at UK specialist stores.
Otherwise, there are plenty of recipes online if you need a fix.
Adora Cream Wafers
These haven’t so much ‘disappeared’ as been rebranded and redesigned as Tina Wafers.
Originally, they came in just the vanilla flavour, but Tina also offers strawberry and chocolate varieties. Judging by the taste, no strawberries were damaged in the making of a Tina strawberry wafer biscuit.
Tinas also have a less creamy filling, no doubt because it’s probably cheaper to make them that way.
My tip: they are only good for picnics, as the crumbs can be found for days afterward.
And if you have an original tin lurking in the shed, dust it off. They sell online for $75-$80, even in rubbish condition.
What’s your favourite biscuit? Do you miss any of these discontinued biscuits? Why not share your opinion in the comments section below?
Well Jan you have got your facts wrong Tina wafers were around a long time before Adora Cream wafers were dropped, as an Adora cream wafer I was most disappointed when they weren’t on the supermarket shelf, so I contacted Arnotts asking them if they had stopped making them, I was told “no” the supermarkets had stopped ordering them. After that any time I noticed Arnott’s biscuits missing from the shelf I blame it on the supermarkets.
As a kid I used to love Dessert Creams, to me they were better than Delta Creams as they were not only chocolate bikkies but had chocolate filling to boot. I also miss Currant Luncheon and the Spicy Fruit Roll (cushions as they were affectionately known) and the closest I will ever get to eating a fruit mince pie as they are disgusting. Lemon Crisps and Cherry Slice bikkies were also popular.