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To Dunk or not to Dunk - that is the question

(74 Posts)
Teetime Sun 28-Aug-16 12:42:33

DH and I were discussing the Camilla Long article in the Sunday Times today where she berates the producers of 'Bake off' for setting up Mary Berry to tell Paul Hollywood off about dunking his Jaffa Cake in his tea. She told him ' we don't do that in the South'. Camilla Long asserted that it is a class rather than a geographical issue. I accused DH a lifelong southerner of dunking cake. He replied loftily that's only when it's stale (I don't give him stake cake) I wouldn't dunk one of those things - well I wouldn't eat one of those things'. What's your view of this terribly important subject?

Craftycat Mon 29-Aug-16 11:53:09

Gingernuts in cold milk & digestives or rich tea in tea. Nothing else.
My southern born & bred Mum would have had 40 fits!! Mind you I am also Surrey born & bred so maybe things have changed ( or standards have dropped as Mum would have thought).

nannypink1 Mon 29-Aug-16 12:34:27

Rich tea biscuits had to be dunked. Never did it with cake though just these biscuits. N I'm a northern lass.

Maggiemaybe Mon 29-Aug-16 13:00:58

I'm Northern, and I only dunk the tough guys -rich tea, etc. None of the softies that would collapse and spoil my drink.

I've been known to mop my plate, Dharmacat. Some things - curry, creamy sauces, salad dressings - are too good to waste smile

Elrel Mon 29-Aug-16 13:27:39

I was a keen and experimental dunker as a child. Showed more caution after my big mistake when I dunked a sardine sandwich in my cocoa.
Still sometimes dunks hard Gingernuts in tea, even a plain digestive if I'm quick enough to avoid half in the bottom of the mug. Not chocolate biscuits though, seems like a waste.
Amaretti biscuits daintily dipped into amaretto is a lovely treat!

Diddy1 Mon 29-Aug-16 13:56:13

Dunking is ok, but only at home, never anywhere else, also there is an art to dunking, quickly from cup to mouth otherwise, soggy in the cup, or on the table, lap etc, not very lady like!
Ginger nuts are best to dunk!

lizzypopbottle Mon 29-Aug-16 14:06:43

My dog Charlie loves the last little bit of my dunked ginger nut. He gives me those appealing eyes while I eat most of it. He gets a tiny piece.

lizzypopbottle Mon 29-Aug-16 14:11:39

Having said that, he eats most things, dunked or not: socks, shoes, underwear, tissues (clean ones but he prefers used ones ?) cardboard tubes, cushions etc. but thankfully, after a spate of chewing the skirting board as a pup, he's never attacked the furniture and has lost the taste for cushions.

Battersea1971 Mon 29-Aug-16 17:12:39

We were taught not to dunk biscuits, but I always do now, especially digestives. But wouldn't do it in company. I will try dunking a Jaffa cake next time I have one.

grandMattie Mon 29-Aug-16 17:22:02

Agree with you Diddy, dunking is for the privacy of one's home and in solitude. Public dunking is a big Nono.

The only thing we were allowed to dunk on holiday, were fiercely dry, hard-tack type of biscuits into cocoa, in private, otherwise never, ever.

Now where are my gingernuts?

Venus Mon 29-Aug-16 18:41:54

When one is of the older variety, one can dunk . . . and not care a damn!

Blinko Mon 29-Aug-16 19:19:17

Ginger nuts in hot chocolate - yum!

anniesgrannie Mon 29-Aug-16 19:43:08

The only biscuits I dunk are ginger nuts in cold milk. Oh blow, I am dieting and now I really fancy a couple.

Shelagh6 Mon 29-Aug-16 20:01:50

Boring..........

Legs55 Mon 29-Aug-16 20:26:04

don't dunk biscuits - yuck- however I do dunk toast or bread in soup & slice of bread for moping up gravy at the end of a meal - yum. hmm

Elegran Mon 29-Aug-16 20:28:54

So why did you bother reading it Shelagh ? Was someone forcing you to?

Are all your own conversations absolutely rivetting to everyone who overhears them? Every word of every chat? I don't believe it!

Deedaa Mon 29-Aug-16 21:31:55

While on the subject of dunking, does anyone still drink their tea out of the saucer? I can remember my Gran doing it when I was very young.

Grannynise Mon 29-Aug-16 22:52:41

I never dunk a biscuit in my coffee. I always use someone else's cup ( in case of unplanned crumbiness). It takes a little practice to carry it off unobserved but it's worth the effort.

grannybuy Mon 29-Aug-16 23:02:56

I can't bear the sogginess of dunked biscuit, but someone told me to try dunking chocolate in coffee. That I do like!

Jeanie6 Mon 29-Aug-16 23:19:12

I wonder if the Queen has ever tried dunking her biscuits?

BBbevan Tue 30-Aug-16 05:44:07

My Mum always dunked biscuits. She said the Queen Mother dunked hers therefore it was the done thing. I don't know how she knew

MaizieD Tue 30-Aug-16 10:49:31

I'm completely neutral on the issue of dunking; it was a practice which none of our family ever considered. So it wasn't frowned on or approved. In fact, we looked on goggle eyed with surprise when our French exchange student dunked her toast in her coffee shock

Personally I think it sounds rather revolting but each to their own.

On the other hand, it is a sin to leave gravy and sauces on one's plate unmopped up. And of course soup is all the better for some bread or toast dunked in it smile

grandMattie Tue 30-Aug-16 12:30:28

Oh Grannynise I wish I had thought of that... grin The sludge at the bottom of a cup in the case of a lost biccy is horrible, it is wonderful to donate it to someone else!

Aepgirl Tue 30-Aug-16 16:34:08

I don't have any views on dunking or not dunking, but what I can't stand is anything with chocolate and orange!