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offtopic:sargon_s_guide_to_the_dunking_of_various_biscuits_into_tea

Sargon's Guide to the Dunking of Various Biscuits into Tea

This is intended to be a helpful guide for all those who enjoying dunking biscuits into their tea, or are thinking of experimenting with such.

Bourbon Cream:

Holds integrity quite well, and previously immersed portions can be dunked more than once. Does have a tendency to suddenly disintegrate without warning if immersed for too long. Dunking enhances the favour of the chocolate centre of the biscuit as well as the main body.

Digestive:

One must be careful dunking this one, as although the biscuit appears robust, it will disintegrate rather quickly should one dally with it. One cannot reliably dunk an already dunked portion a second time as this will lead to a mound of pulp in the bottom of the cup. However, dunking is most rewarding and results in at least double the flavour of this particular item. One drawback is that is it usually too big to be dunked into the average cup without biting a bit off first.

Chocolate Digestive:

As above, but holds integrity rather better due to the chocolate covering on one side of the biscuit. It is possible to dunk previously immersed portions more than once, however twice is the maximum. The melted chocolate can create rather a mess on the sides of one's cup though.

Rich Tea:

Allegedly one of the best dunkers, it is a mystery how it can be such as it is too large for the average cup, and it tends to have a resilient centre which leaves the edges to become soggy and disintegrate before the rest does. Very plain of taste before dunking, but much better after doing so. One must be careful of dunking it again though as the centre then does actually become soggy like the rest of it and one WILL end up with a pile of pulp at the bottom of one's cup.

Jammie Dodger:

A very good biscuit for dunking. Holds together quite well after the initial immersion, and only requires a single effort at dunking to release the great taste of the jam inside. Those with a layer of cream alongside the jam only enhance the experience in terms of taste.

Shortbread:

Is very robust when dunking, and can take several without falling apart. This of course depends upon whether you are using shortbread fingers or other thinner shapes. A thick biscuit that takes a while to infuse with tea, the effect of which delightfully enhances the taste of the butter used to create the biscuit. However one must be careful of sudden collapse if one hesitates to consume the item after a few dunks.

Ginger Biscuits:

Very hard biscuits before dunking, but actually rapidly become soft and will disintegrate rather fast if not delivered to one's mouth soon after a single dunking. The tea somehow sweetens the taste of the ginger to some extent in a not unattractive manner.

Garibaldi (or Squashed Flies):

Holds together rather well after initial dunking. Previously immersed parts can be dunked once again, however, a single dunk is sufficient to enjoy the added taste of tea infusing into the body that contains the crushed raisins. Maintains integrity fairly well owing to those raisins acting as a glue holding the whole together.

Wafer:

Comes in various colours, but usually pink and yellow and appears fragile. Rather like dipping balsa into tea and becomes soft very quickly. Surprisingly however, previously immersed parts can be dunked more than once although care must be taken in doing so. Provides a satisfying taste, and ideal if one prefers something lighter.

Custard Cream:

One of the tastiest dunkers as the process enhances what is already a tasty biscuit very significantly. The initial dunk is sufficient to soften the edges and consume such, however, a second dunk may be necessary to soften up the rather thick centre and allow the tea to infuse satisfactorily. One risks the edges of the biscuit breaking off however when this is done.

Malted Milk:

A very risky dunker. Even one dunk can lead to rapid disintegration plus very sudden collapse and a pile of pulp at the bottom of one's cup. This is really a biscuit for the expert dunker as it requires precise timing to enjoy successfully, not only in the dunking but skilful movement to one's mouth after such. However, the rewards are worth it as it turns a rather plain biscuit into a pretty decent one.

Oreo:

A pretty good dunker, however, can suffer from the same risks as the Custard Cream in that the edges can sometimes detach in an effort to soften the centre. This appears to be more of an issue with hot beverages than cold ones. Provides a contrast of tastes that many find of great reward.

Jaffa Cake:

Isn't strictly speaking a biscuit and not taxed as such. However is dunkable, and only really requires a single dunk to soften it well enough for consumption. Can become soggy and start to fall apart if one is not careful though, but the orange jelly in the centre tends to help hold that part together a bit better, although it'll start stretching if one dallies. A nice tasting dunk. The chocolate covering does tend to mess up the cup if one is not careful though.

Lincoln:

Hard to find these days, however, not a bad dunker and the action of such does improve the taste from what is quite a dry biscuit. One dunk is sufficient to release the taste, however one should be careful of disintegrations if one waits too long before consuming the item. Can suffer from sudden collapse.

Shorties:

Plain or raisin filled are both reasonable dunkers, with one dunk being more than adequate to enjoy the taste. However, like the Malted Milk, one must be careful when doing so, and although not quite as prone to sudden collapse and as needful of precise timing of the dunking period as them, one still needs to be a skilful dunker to enjoy these without mishap.

Butter Cookies (usually Danish):

Becomes rapidly soft after the initial dunk being of a less robust consistency than Shortbread biscuits. However, the infusion of the tea into the item releases a delightful taste. Holds integrity fairly well at first, but should be consumed rather soon after the initial dunk lest one is left with a disintegrating pulp falling upon one's carpet and clothes.

Viscount:

Can be quite messy biscuits for dunking owing to the full chocolate covering. They are fairly robust though and may require more than one immersion to sufficiently soften the centre for consumption. An acquired taste due to the mint centre which reacts with the liquid in one's mouth to have quite a strong taste, rather like having a cough sweet and then some water afterwards in terms of the electric shock factor. The ones with the orange filling are less dramatic in effect however. Perhaps recommended more for the veteran dunker who wants a challenge.

Nice:

Quite hard and sugary before dunking, and can take a couple of such to soften up sufficiently to enjoy. However, one must be careful as the edges tend to soften before the centre does, and one can risk parts falling off upon tarrying too long, or after a second immersion. Quite a tasty dunker.

Party Ring:

usually made by Fox's, these are colourful biscuits with a hole in the centre, and as such resemble a small yet flatter doughnut in shape. Quite hard before dunking and can require more than one dunk to soften up sufficiently for enjoyment. The icing on the top tends to hold them together, however it has the disadvantage of running after one dunks them. This can stain the cup and any other items nearby with the bright food dyes. A very tasty if sugary dunk.

Coconut Rings:

Resembles the above, but have a coconut taste. These are rather similar to Nice biscuits which also have a coconut taste. They tend to be less robust when dunked though and a single dunk is usually enough to soften them up enough for consumption. The chocolate version is a little more robust, but predictably messier.

Hob Nobs:

Plain and chocolate versions are both fairly soft biscuits owing to the oats within them. One long dunk is sufficient to soften them to a satisfactory level and they should be consumed without dallying. However, they can withstand more than one dunk if the first is not too long. They can be prone to disintegration after that, however, unlike the Digestive, which they somewhat resemble, they are a convenient size to dip into the average cup without having to bite a part part off beforehand. However, the chocolate version can be messy to one's cup if not handled with care.

Dog Biscuits:

Never had these with tea. As a child did nick some from the bag they were in rather annoying my pet dogs, and they weren't bad. Goes quite well with water though. For some reason liked the pink square ones. Recommended for those dunkers with nothing else in the house.

There are many other biscuits not covered here. Why not head down to your local supermarket and look for Rover, Family Circle, Victoria, Fox's and so on in large tin boxes and indulge in some experimentation. Which many of you probably will do after reading this as it may have caused you to be gasping for a cuppa and some biscuits to dunk in it!


offtopic/sargon_s_guide_to_the_dunking_of_various_biscuits_into_tea.txt · Last modified: 2019/03/29 15:13 by 127.0.0.1

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