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Arnott's discontinued Lattice bikkies so we’ve ranked the best alternatives

From the very best to the not-quite-so-good.

Chocolate mousse squares
Chocolate mousse squares
I’ve been missing Lattice biscuits ever since they were discontinued. Not just as the ultimate biscuit to take the edge off hunger when it hits 3pm, but also as a shortcut item when I feel like some lazy baking. 

Why did Arnott’s discontinue Lattice biscuits?

At the time of their retirement, a spokesperson from Arnott’s said: “We often have to make difficult decisions with our retail partners on which biscuits to produce at our bakeries and stock at supermarkets. There is a finite amount of shelf space available and unfortunately, we’ve had to retire the production of Lattice biscuits.”

But enough of that. Instead of weeping into my empty biscuit tin, I decided to get proactive and investigate the best alternatives to use, instead of my beloved Lattice.

Lattice: the best substitutes

Instead of weeping over Lattice slices that could have been, we’ve decided to get proactive about this discontinuation. The biggest biscuit-loving members of the taste team have ranked all the potential Lattice alternatives, starting with the absolute best.

You’re welcome.

Salada

“Saladas are my childhood favorite and my go-to bikkie when I need a crunchy, salty snack. Nothing is better than the simplicity of a Salada with scratchings of salted butter and Vegemite. Lightly salted, with just the right amount of flaky crispness, they would be one of my first choices to replace the beloved Lattice biscuit.”
Tiffany, Recipe Developer

SAO

“The SAO bikkie and I got off to a rocky start. I’m not from Australia so when I started pronouncing it SOW biscuit (like the pig), I understandably got a roasting for it. But over time I’ve really bonded with the SAO. It’s so versatile: blitz it up and add it to meatballs; spread Nutella on it for an arvo snack; use it as a base and topper for slices like this one. Just don’t call it a SOW or – worse still – an S.A.O. biscuit. Say it after me: SAY-OH biscuit.”
Laura, Digital Director

Nice

Another pronunciation conundrum.

“Is it nice like the word, or Nice like the place in France? I grew up saying Nice the place and that’s how I’ll always say it. Perfect on its own, this unsung hero of the bikkie world goes great dunked in a cuppa (with a proper cup and saucer, of course) or blitzed up with melted butter as a cheesecake base for this condensed milk cheesecake slice.”
Alison, Food Editor

Jatz

“I’m not a big sweets person so I love the salty, savoury flavours of Jatz. It’s perfect on a cheeseboard but also works really well as a base for sweet slices like our salted Caramilk squares. I have been known to smash an entire box in one sitting so beware…”
Steph, Social Media Editor

Malt-O-Milk

“I’m a big fan of malt – and anything and everything made with malt – so, naturally, there’s always a stash of Malt-O-Milk biscuits in my pantry. They’re excellent dipped into tea, but I also like to use them as a base for classic baked cheesecake. There’s something about that almost golden-syrupy, not overly sweet, malty flavour that makes a creamy cheesecake sing. They’re also great crumbled over ice-cream with Milo (yep, the more malt the better as far as I’m concerned.) Delicious and versatile, just as any good biscuit should be.”
Imogen, Senior Sub Editor

Scotch Finger

“Okay, so it’s no Lattice, but it definitely deserves a place in our biscuit hall of fame. Both a tea-dunker and a standalone snack, it often gets overlooked in favour of its chocolate-coated cousin. But its plainness is what makes the Scotch Finger the foundation of so many great recipes – from hedgehog slices to ice-cream sandwiches, truffles and more.”
Bec, Digital Editor

Arno shortbread

“As a rule of thumb, I keep a packet of shortbread in the cupboard at all times. If you’re more about crumbly than crunchy when it comes to biscuits, this is your new Lattice replacement. Just be aware that in some recipes (like a vanilla slice), it might go a bit soggy.”
Nina, Senior Producer

Digestive

“For me, the best criteria by which to judge a biscuit is how well it goes with a cup of tea – and the king of the tea bikkies is, of course, the digestive. Equal parts sweet, salted, and crunchy, it has the perfect structural integrity for the tea-dunkers among us. If you want to opt for the chocolate coated digestive, you’ll be treated to a thin coating of good quality milk chocolate surrounding the wheaty interior. And at only $3 a pack (yes, I know this price off by heart), how could you go wrong! It’s a ‘yes’ from me every single time.”
Bonnie, Editorial Coordinator

And the surprise contender…

It might be a bit of a curveball, but Arnott’s Triple Wafers actually make a surprisingly good Lattice substitute. The vanilla wafers offer the perfect amount of crispiness, while the vanilla cream hidden inside is totally addictive.

Our favourite Lattice recipes (and what to substitute with):

Here are a few of the best Lattice recipes, with recipe developer Tiffany’s suggestions for which biscuit you should use instead.

Chocolate mousse squares
SAO

Lemon curd cheesecake slice
Scotch Fingers, then Arno shortbread

Strawberry mascarpone wafers
Nice biscuits, then Saladas

Apple custard creams
Malt-O-Milks, then Jatz (as a sweet/salty option)

Chocolate lattice slice
Saladas or Digestives

Pine Lime ice-cream slice
SAO, then Nice biscuits

Not a Lattice fan? Try Lemon Crisp.

So it’s a bit different to a Lattice, but we absolutely love a Lemon Crisp biscuit too (I think it’s rather underrated). One of our favourites sandwiches it with custard to form the ultimate slice:

Lemon Crisp custard slice

Originally published as Arnott's discontinued Lattice bikkies so we’ve ranked the best alternatives

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/food/arnotts-discontinued-lattice-bikkies-so-weve-ranked-the-best-alternatives/news-story/e488d8e062b022030d0b8f325f450cf4