Arnott’s Iced VoVos: Is the recipe really ‘unchanged’?
- Replies 2
Recently, we wrote a story about changes to Arnott’s Iced VoVo biscuits. But this isn’t the first time Arnott’s has been in the news. In the name of journalism, we’ve previously ‘investigated’ the alleged shrinkage of another Arnott’s buy: Monte Carlos. You can read about our findings here.
So, what did SDC members have to say about the recent news of a potential change to Arnott’s Iced VoVos? Read on to find out.
Member @Leenie said: ‘Most of Arnott biscuits now are tasteless and getting smaller. Time to boycott Arnotts and give them a message that we are not happy with what they are doing to our iconic bikkies.’
Member @Januvia1952 said: ‘It’s called shrinkflation. Iced VoVos are not the same as in my childhood. Smaller, less jam, marshmallow and jam. But it’s the same as everything. Cadbury blocks are now 160-180gms down from 250gms.
’
Member @Benny's Light added: ‘Once family-run companies are sold off to be multinational profit-based companies, the heart and soul of providing quality for their customer base disappears. Arnotts are just another example. I have not had Arnott's biscuits for some years and bought some the other day, had a bite and the rest in the bin. I prefer to use my local family-run, old-fashioned cake shop. They care for their product and their customers. It is no wonder people come from miles around to purchase their cakes. It is a shame that this happens.’
Member @magpie1 continued this train of thought, saying: ‘Since the “takeover”, Arnott's biscuits have lost their well-earned past reputation for quality and taste, not to mention the size factor…it's a terrible shame that this once proud Australian company is no longer considered worthy of carrying the famous reputation that it was previously admired for.
’
Member @Carolyn T did some taste testing and said: ‘Iced Vovo is my favourite, but the quality has definitely deteriorated in the last few years. The marshmallow is not soft and spongy, and the biscuit is too thin and small. Not what we used to enjoy.’
Member @RFG said: ‘I guarantee you none of the Arnott's biscuits taste like they used to, and the size of them resembles a shrinking violet…as the saying goes. It also surprised me that they don't have the same range, and I certainly agree the fillings and flavours are not what they used to be with any of their biscuits.’
Member @Toyo said: ‘Iced VoVos have not been the same as I'd remembered from my childhood for quite a while now it hasn't just happened it's been ten years or more I don't buy them anymore. The only biscuit I still buy from Arnott's is ginger nuts, I guess, until they change them as well. Arnott's aren't doing themselves any favours by changing the recipe from old and cutting down on ingredients. VoVos used to be my favourite treat as a kid, but I never had them very often.’
However, a representative from Arnott’s insisted that the Iced VoVos recipe and size remain unchanged.
‘Our Iced Vovo biscuits continue to be made by our wonderful team in Marleston, South Australia, who have been delivering the same delicious recipe of smooth fondant, sweet raspberry jammy flavoured topping, and a sprinkle of coconut all on a delicate golden biscuit that Aussies have loved for decades.’
‘As well as the recipe, the biscuit size of our Iced VoVo has stayed the same in recent years.’
In response, member @Staffordshire Whippet said: ‘Well, he WOULD say that, wouldn't he? Such a gushing response reminds me of the old Monty Python "Crunchy Frog" sketch:
Mr. Milton, the owner of the Whizzo Chocolate Company (Terry Jones) is approached by two members of the Hygiene Squad, Inspector Praline (John Cleese) and Superintendent Parrot (Graham Chapman). The officers confront him about the odd flavours that are used in the "Whizzo Quality Assortment", and cite inadequate descriptions of his products as a violation of the Trade Descriptions Act. They ask him to explain the confection labelled "Crunchy Frog". Milton describes it as an entire frog that has been coated with chocolate, using only "the finest baby frogs, dew picked and flown from Iraq, cleansed in finest quality spring water, lightly killed, and then sealed in a succulent Swiss quintuple smooth treble cream milk chocolate envelope and lovingly frosted with glucose." Circular logic is used to explain why the bones aren't taken out: "If we took the bones out, it wouldn't be crunchy, would it?"’
And, member @StarTrekker pointed out that ‘It used to be marshmallow and raspberry jam, not fondant and topping.’
Member @Ezzy added, ‘As a child & young adult, l remember these as a decent layer of marshmallow after biting through the coconut into a soft biscuit. “A spokesperson stated......... !” How long has this person done this job, how old is this person, and have they ever tried the original biscuit as many of us grew up with?’
But the recipe and size isn’t the only thing on members' minds.
Member @Suziq12 said: ‘I’d also like to know what has happened to Honey Jumbles, Lattice and Creamy Chocolate!!!!!!’
Our research found that these were quietly discontinued in 2021 due to low sales. What a loss!
The good news is that Arnott’s revealed their Honey Jumbles recipe!
Arnott's Bake-At-Home Honey Jumbles
Credit: Arnott’s/Taste.com.au
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 12 mins
Makes: 20
Ingredients
75 grams unsalted butter softened
¼ cup honey
¼ cup treacle syrup
1 ½ cups plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp bi-carb soda
1 1/2 tbsp milk
Icing
1 egg white
11/2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Pink food colouring
Method
And how about Iced Vovos? It turns out Arnott’s has previously shared a ‘make-at-home’ recipe.
Royal Icing
Extra Baking Items
Step 1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Step 2: Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, icing sugar and salt for 2 mins or until pale and creamy. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
Step 3: Place half the mixture between baking paper and roll out to approx. 5 mm thickness. Using a 6cm heart-shaped cutter, cut out biscuits, transfer to baking sheets. Repeat rolling and cutting heart shapes with remaining mixture, re-rolling scrap dough to make more hearts.
Step 4: Bake for 16-18 minutes or when biscuits start to turn golden. Leave on the tray to cool.
Royal Icing
Step 1: Place egg white in a clean mixing bowl and mix on low speed with the whisk attachment until the whites begin to break up. Gradually add the icing sugar, vanilla and glucose, whisking until combined and glossy. If the mixture is too stiff, add a teaspoon of water to loosen it up but ensure it isn’t too runny as it will slide off the biscuit. It should form a smooth surface. Add your colour and stir until combined. Cover surface of icing with cling wrap until ready to use to prevent the icing going hard.
Step 2: Place a small round tip (we used a no2 nozzle) and fill your piping bag ⅓ full of icing. Do not overfill your bag. Fill another piping bag with raspberry jam.
Step 3: Pipe a jam strip down the centre of the heart biscuit and pipe pink icing around the edges before filling in the remainder of the heart with icing.
Step 4: Sprinkle with coconut. Place iced biscuits in a single layer of an airtight container to set overnight.
Tips
And, to finish on a positive note, member @sheza61 shared some great nostalgia: ‘My brother was friends with members of the original Arnotts family back in the 60s as they lived locally on the Central Coast and used to bring a box of biscuits home every week. And I have great memories of a train ride to Sydney when passing by the Arnotts factory and the yummy smell of baking.’
I can almost smell it just from your comment! Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts on the original article.
Now, if anyone has a recipe for the discontinued Arnott’s Morning Coffee biscuit recipe…
Members, what do you think? Have Arnott’s biscuits changed? Will you be giving these Honey Jumbles or Iced Vovo recipes a try? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
So, what did SDC members have to say about the recent news of a potential change to Arnott’s Iced VoVos? Read on to find out.
Have they changed? Image Credit: Arnott’s
Member @Leenie said: ‘Most of Arnott biscuits now are tasteless and getting smaller. Time to boycott Arnotts and give them a message that we are not happy with what they are doing to our iconic bikkies.’
Member @Januvia1952 said: ‘It’s called shrinkflation. Iced VoVos are not the same as in my childhood. Smaller, less jam, marshmallow and jam. But it’s the same as everything. Cadbury blocks are now 160-180gms down from 250gms.
’Member @Benny's Light added: ‘Once family-run companies are sold off to be multinational profit-based companies, the heart and soul of providing quality for their customer base disappears. Arnotts are just another example. I have not had Arnott's biscuits for some years and bought some the other day, had a bite and the rest in the bin. I prefer to use my local family-run, old-fashioned cake shop. They care for their product and their customers. It is no wonder people come from miles around to purchase their cakes. It is a shame that this happens.’
Member @magpie1 continued this train of thought, saying: ‘Since the “takeover”, Arnott's biscuits have lost their well-earned past reputation for quality and taste, not to mention the size factor…it's a terrible shame that this once proud Australian company is no longer considered worthy of carrying the famous reputation that it was previously admired for.
’Member @Carolyn T did some taste testing and said: ‘Iced Vovo is my favourite, but the quality has definitely deteriorated in the last few years. The marshmallow is not soft and spongy, and the biscuit is too thin and small. Not what we used to enjoy.’
Member @RFG said: ‘I guarantee you none of the Arnott's biscuits taste like they used to, and the size of them resembles a shrinking violet…as the saying goes. It also surprised me that they don't have the same range, and I certainly agree the fillings and flavours are not what they used to be with any of their biscuits.’
Member @Toyo said: ‘Iced VoVos have not been the same as I'd remembered from my childhood for quite a while now it hasn't just happened it's been ten years or more I don't buy them anymore. The only biscuit I still buy from Arnott's is ginger nuts, I guess, until they change them as well. Arnott's aren't doing themselves any favours by changing the recipe from old and cutting down on ingredients. VoVos used to be my favourite treat as a kid, but I never had them very often.’
However, a representative from Arnott’s insisted that the Iced VoVos recipe and size remain unchanged.
‘Our Iced Vovo biscuits continue to be made by our wonderful team in Marleston, South Australia, who have been delivering the same delicious recipe of smooth fondant, sweet raspberry jammy flavoured topping, and a sprinkle of coconut all on a delicate golden biscuit that Aussies have loved for decades.’
‘As well as the recipe, the biscuit size of our Iced VoVo has stayed the same in recent years.’
In response, member @Staffordshire Whippet said: ‘Well, he WOULD say that, wouldn't he? Such a gushing response reminds me of the old Monty Python "Crunchy Frog" sketch:
Mr. Milton, the owner of the Whizzo Chocolate Company (Terry Jones) is approached by two members of the Hygiene Squad, Inspector Praline (John Cleese) and Superintendent Parrot (Graham Chapman). The officers confront him about the odd flavours that are used in the "Whizzo Quality Assortment", and cite inadequate descriptions of his products as a violation of the Trade Descriptions Act. They ask him to explain the confection labelled "Crunchy Frog". Milton describes it as an entire frog that has been coated with chocolate, using only "the finest baby frogs, dew picked and flown from Iraq, cleansed in finest quality spring water, lightly killed, and then sealed in a succulent Swiss quintuple smooth treble cream milk chocolate envelope and lovingly frosted with glucose." Circular logic is used to explain why the bones aren't taken out: "If we took the bones out, it wouldn't be crunchy, would it?"’
And, member @StarTrekker pointed out that ‘It used to be marshmallow and raspberry jam, not fondant and topping.’
Member @Ezzy added, ‘As a child & young adult, l remember these as a decent layer of marshmallow after biting through the coconut into a soft biscuit. “A spokesperson stated......... !” How long has this person done this job, how old is this person, and have they ever tried the original biscuit as many of us grew up with?’
But the recipe and size isn’t the only thing on members' minds.
Member @Suziq12 said: ‘I’d also like to know what has happened to Honey Jumbles, Lattice and Creamy Chocolate!!!!!!’
Our research found that these were quietly discontinued in 2021 due to low sales. What a loss!
The good news is that Arnott’s revealed their Honey Jumbles recipe!
Do you miss Honey Jumbles? Image Credit: Arnott’s
Arnott's Bake-At-Home Honey Jumbles
Credit: Arnott’s/Taste.com.au
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 12 mins
Makes: 20
Ingredients
75 grams unsalted butter softened
¼ cup honey
¼ cup treacle syrup
1 ½ cups plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp bi-carb soda
1 1/2 tbsp milk
Icing
1 egg white
11/2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Pink food colouring
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
- In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey, and treacle. Stir over moderate heat until melted and smooth. Don't let it boil. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl, add honey mixture and milk, and stir well until combined. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm.
- Roll the mixture into 30 cm logs and cut into 7 cm lengths. Place on a prepared tray and bake for 12 minutes. Leave on the tray for 5 mins, then move to a cooling tray.
- To make the icing, whisk the egg white in a medium bowl until frothy, sift the icing sugar into the egg white and whisk until smooth. Dip half the biscuit's front side into the icing and set aside. Add some pink food colouring to the icing and repeat with the remaining biscuits.
And how about Iced Vovos? It turns out Arnott’s has previously shared a ‘make-at-home’ recipe.
Recipe inspired by Arnott’s Iced VoVo and adapted for home bakers. Credit: Arnott’s
Iced Vovo Inspired Hearts
Recipe Credit: Arnott’s- Prep time: 10 mins
- Cook time: 18 mins
- Makes: 36 biscuits
Ingredients
Biscuit- 180g unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (75g) soft icing sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups (300g) plain flour
Royal Icing
- 1 large egg white
- 1½ cups (200g) icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp glucose syrup
- 1-2 drops pillar box red colouring
- ½ cup raspberry jam
- ½ cup desiccated coconut
Extra Baking Items
- Heart-shaped cutter (optional)
- Piping bag and nozzle (optional)
Method
BiscuitStep 1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Step 2: Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, icing sugar and salt for 2 mins or until pale and creamy. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
Step 3: Place half the mixture between baking paper and roll out to approx. 5 mm thickness. Using a 6cm heart-shaped cutter, cut out biscuits, transfer to baking sheets. Repeat rolling and cutting heart shapes with remaining mixture, re-rolling scrap dough to make more hearts.
Step 4: Bake for 16-18 minutes or when biscuits start to turn golden. Leave on the tray to cool.
Royal Icing
Step 1: Place egg white in a clean mixing bowl and mix on low speed with the whisk attachment until the whites begin to break up. Gradually add the icing sugar, vanilla and glucose, whisking until combined and glossy. If the mixture is too stiff, add a teaspoon of water to loosen it up but ensure it isn’t too runny as it will slide off the biscuit. It should form a smooth surface. Add your colour and stir until combined. Cover surface of icing with cling wrap until ready to use to prevent the icing going hard.
Step 2: Place a small round tip (we used a no2 nozzle) and fill your piping bag ⅓ full of icing. Do not overfill your bag. Fill another piping bag with raspberry jam.
Step 3: Pipe a jam strip down the centre of the heart biscuit and pipe pink icing around the edges before filling in the remainder of the heart with icing.
Step 4: Sprinkle with coconut. Place iced biscuits in a single layer of an airtight container to set overnight.
Tips
- Be very light-handed when adding your colour to ensure a soft pink colour
- If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a snap-lock bag and snip the corner off
- Biscuits can be made into any shape, including the traditional rectangle
And, to finish on a positive note, member @sheza61 shared some great nostalgia: ‘My brother was friends with members of the original Arnotts family back in the 60s as they lived locally on the Central Coast and used to bring a box of biscuits home every week. And I have great memories of a train ride to Sydney when passing by the Arnotts factory and the yummy smell of baking.’
I can almost smell it just from your comment! Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts on the original article.
Now, if anyone has a recipe for the discontinued Arnott’s Morning Coffee biscuit recipe…
Members, what do you think? Have Arnott’s biscuits changed? Will you be giving these Honey Jumbles or Iced Vovo recipes a try? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
.png){kind=icon}
