I'm a Crunchie Train Robber

The year is 1975.  New Zealand is about to witness what was to become one of the most memorable, and enduring, television advertisements ever to grace the Aotearoa airwaves.  The Crunchie Train Robbery, made to advertise Cadbury's ever-popular Crunchie bar, took NZ by storm.  I don't think there are many kiwis who haven't seen it and, thanks to the wonders of the internet, it's likely that future generations will be able to have a complete cultural education too.  

Crunchie bars are definitely a kiwi favourite.  It's our beloved hokey pokey, wrapped in cadbury's signature milk choc (personally I prefer dark chocolate, but even I'm rather fond of the ol' Crunchie).  You can eat it straight, you can carefully bite the chocolate off the sides to expose the golden hokey pokey within, you can chomp one end off and proceed to suck the hokey pokey out, bit by bit.  Kind of like creme eggs and mallowpuffs - every one has their own preferred method of inhalation.   

For years I've been making hokey pokey biscuits (since I was about 8 and decided to be nice to my brother, for once, and make something which he could take back to boarding school with him).  I've used numerous recipes, most of them fairly similar.  Today I came across one from Alexa Johnston, of yesterday's blog post fame.  She suggested (at the behest of her sister) that one might add chocolate chips to the otherwise humble HP cookie.  BRILLIANT!!  In one swift movement the hokey pokey biscuits have become Crunchie cookies.  And they're amazing.  I've made them to take to handball training tonight, but there are already two less that went in the oven... 

115 g butter (4 oz)
115 g sugar (4 oz)
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp golden syrup (it was 2 tsp, but what can I say, I like golden syrup)
1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

170 g flour (1 large cup)
3/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper or grease them lightly.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until soft and light.
3. Put the milk and golden syrup in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. The mixture will curdle, but don’t worry. Add the baking soda and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until it froths up. Pour it onto the butter and sugar and mix well.
4. Add the vanilla followed by the flour and chocolate chips.
5. Place teaspoonfuls on the trays and flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 10–15 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a rack. Makes about 24 tasty tasty biscuits. 

And remember -

"Life’s a whole long journey, boy, before you grow too old,
don’t miss the opportunity to strike a little gold.
Out West the folks are crossing you,
the way to make them stop, is to quick draw your Crunchie bar…
and fill 'em full of choc.
Have a Crunchie, hokey pokey bar, Golden Crunchie, hokey pokey bar."