Tea lovers know what a serious matter dunking is and how the right biscuit can perfect that cuppa or ruin the whole experience. Obviously, there are preferences regarding various ranges of biscuits and whereas some of us prefer the traditional dry bickie with their afternoon tea, others prefer a more sophisticated choice including a thin layer of chocolate or even whole nuts with their tea. Whichever you prefer, there are some features your bickie should bring into the relationship to ensure a smooth and successful dipping. First and foremost, it shouldn't crumble too easily, as you hardly want these little crumbs drowning in your tea, remaining as soggy blobs on the bottom of your tea cup, refusing to blend or to dissolve. However, a cookie too soft may also not be the best choice as it not only dissolves into your tea (at least you won't have the problem given above), but it also is usually a cookie delicious enough to be enjoyed tea-less (yes, apparently there is such a thing). Also, it is rumoured that a good dunking biscuit has to withstand up to fourteen dips without dissolving... Bear in mind, tea biscuits are called so because tea transforms a rather boring and bland biscuit into a mouth-watering and new experience in which tea and biscuit enter a romantic dance which culminates in the perfect soggy crunch every tea lover is striving for. So which are the best biscuits to go for? Well, below you will find a list of the tea biscuits to use for dunking, as well as a recipe I recently used to make my own tea treats. Obviously, these are my recommendation and they are not in hierarchical order , so if you disagree or want to comment, please do so. 1) Hobnobs British people love their hobnobs, regardless if without or with chocolate, and they are still widely used for dunking. They are pretty bland without tea, which makes them perfect for tea-dipping as they don't mess with the taste of the tea itself. According to a study conducted by Wren Kitchens found out that they sustain 14 seconds in hot tea before crumbling. 2) Rich Tea Even the name denotes how perfect this biscuit is for dunking. Rich tea are plain and light biscuits which are pretty dry - but added to tea, they become the perfect companion and with nearly a minute of dunking time (see Wren Kitchens again), they outperform the Hobnob by far regarding endurance. 3) Custard Cream Belonging to the fancier category of biscuits, the custard cream cannot be omitted from this list due to its creaminess and delicious custard flavour, which, upon being dunked into the tea, will slowly dissolve and add this bit of sweetness to your tea you've been looking for. For obvious reasons, the custard creams appeal very much to children and some, it is rumoured, have even been spotted nibbling on a biscuit without having it dunked yet! 4) Shortbread Among the winners of the Wren Kitchens dunking challenge with 1 minute and 20 seconds, the good old shortbread proves its sturdiness and reliability when it comes to dunking. Probably rather outdated in the heads of some, it is still one of the number one choices when it comes to dunking choices because it combines the buttery taste with sugar sweetness and its brick-like form reduces extensive crumbling. In short, one of the best choices you could make for your dunking experience. 5) (Chocolate) Digestive Very similar to the Rich Tea biscuit, this cookie can be enjoyed with or without chocolate and is equally delicious in tea. Whether you prefer the plainer version which softly crumbles into your cuppa or the added sensation of chocolate mingling with the milk and sugar (I have my tea with milk and sugar), Digestive provides the right choice for you. Obviously there are many more biscuits to dunk and love, but the ones given above are my all time favourites. Now, recently I decided to bake my own dunkers and even though quite crumbly, they were delicious in tea, so enjoy these Homemade Chocolate Cookies. For the biscuits you will need: 135g softened butter 130g sugar ½ tsp vanilla sugar 2 eggs 210g self-raising flower 1 pinch of salt 60g chopped white chocolate 90g chocolate drops Preheat oven to 180 degrees (Celsius). Line a tray with baking paper. Put the butter, sugar, vanilla sugar in a bowl and mix until fluffy. Add the eggs one by one and blend in well. Add the flour and salt. Finally, put in the chopped chocolate and the drops and blend everything together until you have a smooth texture. Spoon the mix onto the baking tray and flatten the heaps with a spoon or a flour-dusted hand (so it doesn't keep sticking). Make sure there is enough distance between the cookies, as they will rise while baking. Bake the cookies for 10-20 minutes, take them out and let them cool. Put the second batch in the oven while the first one is cooling (and make sure to nibble at one of them while still warm). These cookies will hold for over three weeks if put into a cookie jar, so your dunking needs should be covered for a while...
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