AS BELOVED as Tim Tams, Shapes have long been a favourite in Australian lunch boxes, picnic hampers and snack cupboards, devoured at movie nights, birthday parties and road trips.

Other countries covet them while expats demand regular Shapes care packages from home.

But a dark cloud has descended over this savoury biscuit staple.

Evoking memories of Vegemite’s “iSnack 2.0” disaster, Arnott’s have made drastic changes to the recipes for several of the range’s most popular products.

While the manufacturers have promised “a flavour hit like never before,” the move is largely designed to improve the range’s Health Star Rating.

As well as changing the recipe of the biscuit, the Shapes wizards have reduced the size of the “flavour particles” that define most of the Shapes range.

They have also “employ[ed] new technologies” to adhere the salty dust to not only both sides of the biscuit — a drastic change from the original- but through the centre of the biscuit itself.

Predictably, customers are unimpressed.

The changes have been met with widespread social media condemnation, with some customers calling the new biscuits “revolting” and suggesting they taste like “cheap Shape rip-offs”.

Barbecue Shapes, the biggest seller in the range, will continue to be sold in its original iteration as well as the ‘improved’ variant, but fans of other flavours will be less spoilt for choice.

It’s Pizza Shapes, the most beloved variety according to a 2015 Buzzfeed poll, that are breaking the most hearts, soon to be available only in their newer form.

Luckily, there’s a glimmer of hope.

If you’re one of the millions of Australians devastated by the news, we’ve been working tirelessly in the news.com.au kitchens to find a solution. And here it is: a simple recipe for original Pizza Shapes you can make at home in under half an hour.

We’re sure Arnott’s will come to their senses and return this Aussie icon to its magnificent original state, but these homemade beauties will happily tied us over until then.

ORIGINAL PIZZA SHAPES RECIPE

Makes approximately 100 biscuits

Ingredients

Biscuit:

55g Kraft Grated Parmesan

90g cheddar cheese, finely grated

200g plain white flour, sifted

½ cup ice cold water

Olive oil spray

Flavour mix:

2 tsp sumac

1 tsp Kraft Grated Parmesan

2 tsp onion salt

1 tsp garlic granules

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

Preheat your oven to 170C.

Combine the ‘flavour mix’ ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, combine the biscuit ingredients until a loose crumble forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead with your hands until the mix comes together into a soft dough (it will appear too dry at first, but as you knead the cheese will soften and the dough will come together).

Divide the dough into four pieces, wrapping three in plastic wrap to prevent them drying out.

Place the fourth piece of dough between two sheets of baking paper and roll out until 2-3mm thick (flipping the dough and adjusting the baking paper will help ensure the dough is even).

Using the tip of a sharp knife, slice the dough into a diamond pattern. The dough will shrink by up to 30 per cent when cooking, so make the diamonds larger than you want the finished biscuits to be.

Slice off the tips of each diamond, forming the classic Pizza Shape shape (keep the offcuts and incorporate into the next ball of dough before you roll it out).

Line a baking tray with baking paper, and arrange the biscuits close together, ensuring they don’t touch.

Spray biscuits lightly with olive oil spray, then sprinkle liberally with the prepared flavour mix until evenly covered.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until crisp and brown.

Repeat with the remaining three portions of dough.

Tristan Lutze is an Australian food writer whose darkest secret is that he loves Savoury Shapes the most. Follow him on Instagram: @tristangled and @geekplate