Tim Tam is the Australian chocolate biscuit introduced by Arnott’s in 1964 with two malted biscuits and a cream filling between them.
The biscuit was created by Arnott’s food technologist Ian Norris after he encountered Britain’s Penguin biscuit during a 1958 world trip. Norris wanted to develop an Australian version that he considered an improvement. The finished product combines two light malted biscuits, a chocolate cream layer and a chocolate coating.
Tim Tams went on sale in Australia on 10 September 1964. The name came from Tim Tam, the horse that won the 1958 Kentucky Derby; Arnott’s executive Ross Arnott thought it suited the planned biscuit line.
Penguin is therefore a useful comparison, not the answer. Mint Slice is a different Arnott’s biscuit with mint cream, while Wagon Wheels are marshmallow-and-jam biscuits coated in chocolate. Tim Tams later became known internationally for the “Tim Tam Slam,” in which a bitten biscuit is used as a straw for a hot drink.