WAGON Wheel biscuits were once a lunch box favourite for adults and kids alike.

They satisfied your sweet tooth with their jammy, marshmallow, chocolate loving charms all wrapped up within a wagon wheel shape.

They have been around for over 70 years and are considered a retro classic today.

This Wild West-themed treat is bound to bring back happy memories of our childhood and create an instant sense of nostalgia.

The biscuit itself was first launched at the Olympic Food Fair in 1948 where Garry Weston, a Canadian-born businessman, had an idea of sandwiching together marshmallow between two biscuits and covering the whole thing in chocolate, having all the right measures.

The biscuit’s name pertained to their spherical shape and sought to capitalise on the Wild West theme from the popular Western films of the time.

The original recipe has evolved to branch off into jammy versions, with newfangled concoctions of toffee, orange and caramel.

Some have strong opinions about the flavours, with only the jam-filled version considered today as a proper wagon wheel.

Like most well-loved treats, Wagon Wheels have become a subject of controversy over the years. You can guess where this is leading to – concerns that they were shrinking in circumference while also getting less flatter were raised by eagle-eyed connoisseurs.

Burton’s Foods, the company that make them, denied any size-related allegations and said our hands had simply got bigger.

But put size to one side for a minute, for consumers still wolf down 125 million Wagon Wheels in the UK every year.

Aerodynamically it is more efficient to make small Wagon Wheels, the horses use less effort to move the wagon, and sweat less. This reduces global warming and thus is better for the environment.

We should be also grateful to the manufacturer for considering our kids future and announce a ‘’New Improved Size’’ and put the price up at the same time.

Belief in this mysterious plot to reduce size may be due to our childhood memories recalling a biscuit that was relatively larger compared to today.

However, this phenomena remains a burning question at the checkouts, when someone pipes up – and quite often it’s me who says it – “Wagon Wheels have got smaller over the years”.

Stay safe everyone, look out for the elders and please don’t panic buy.  

Wagon Wheel Tart             

Ingredients

185g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing 

250g shortbread biscuits, bashed or pulsed 

120g raspberry jam 

50g mashed frozen or fresh raspberries, optional 

275g marshmallows 

Topping 

200g dark chocolate or you could use milk chocolate if you prefer

25g cubed butter

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/Gas Mark 4.

2. Grease a 22cm/3cm deep loose-based, fluted tart tin. 

3. Pulse or bash the biscuits to fine crumbs, then tip them into a large bowl and stir in the melted butter until well mixed. 

4. Using the back of your hands, press firmly into the base and sides of the tin in an even layer, and allow to set for 30 minutes. 

5. Spread the jam over the base and sprinkle over the raspberries, and arrange the marshmallows over the raspberries.

6. Bake for 3-4 minutes until the marshmallows have spread lightly, then set aside to cool, then remove from the tin.  

7. Melt the chocolate and cubed butter together in a bowl, set over a saucepan of simmering water, then pour all over the marshmallow top and biscuit side, spreading out evenly.

8. Drag a skewer through the chocolate in opposite directions to create a pattern, then leave for an hour to set before serving in big wedges.