#Domevember #TheGreatBigBiscuitDebate Featuring R.C Bridgestock

The husband and wife team, Bob and Carol who make up police procedural super couple RC Bridgestock are in the interview room today, sharing their thoughts on all things dunkable.

But can we really believe them? After all with all their experience they could run rings around us and we’d never know…

Let’s start the tape recorder and begin-

”Apparently, dunking biscuits in tea constitutes inappropriate office etiquette! Really?

Question, are you a Dunker?

‘Be yourself, and never be ashamed of who you are,’ said Yorkshire-based business and motivational speaker,Nicky Pattinson via a Facebook video

I giggled to myself, just about to dunk my Rich Tea biscuit into my brew whilst figuring out my next move for DI Charley Mann…

I guess dunking isn’t cool, but as every dunker knows, there is a fine art to Biscuit Dunking; to ensure the biscuit is melted satisfactorily, the drink must be hot enough for starters!

Perhaps that little break in my thought pattern helps to move my writing forward… But, I am distracted by the mystery of how we become dunkers, or not as the case may be.

There are scientific reasons for dunking biscuits. Dunking your biscuit into a milky drink apparently releases up to 11 times more flavour than from eating the dry biscuit alone.

Born or bred a dunker?

Born:- I’ve never had to consider how I should select my plunge-pot; it goes without saying that I’d never pick an overly small cup, for a overly large biscuit.

So this got me thinking of how much of our characters we take from ourselves…

In Consequences, our second book in the DI Jack Dylan series, DS Dawn Farren shows us that biscuits are one of her comforts too.

‘‘Dawn felt in her pocket and produced, not only a beautiful embroidered hankie to dab her mouth, but a half-eaten packet of arrowroot biscuits. She took the one off the top, blew it and offered one to Dylan from the pack.

‘Are you sure this is not just a good excuse for eating biscuits, Dawn?’ He took  one, smiling.

‘I wish it bloody was. Do you really think they’d be plain ones?’ she said, grimacing.

‘Have you heard what happened to Larry?’ Dylan said, looking sombre.

‘Yeah, it’s sad but why aren’t I surprised?’ she said, absentmindedly trying to fish a half-dunked biscuit out of her cup with a spoon.”

Not quite in this case the blissful union of biscuits and tea combined – but, to be fair she has other things on her mind. The career detective is  coping with an unplanned, unexpected pregnancy.

According to the Dunking Biscuit Debating Society ‘Dunking’ is a time honoured tradition amongst the working and lower classes – ‘Dunking biscuits was for the poor man the equivalent of the tea sommelier – both ends of the same spectrum… not for those who cock their little finger as they lift their cup.’

But, how couldn’t I not grow up having a sweet tooth? My aunties worked at Rowntree Mackintosh, and Meredith & Drew;  my ancestors founded Thomas’ Bakery. I was doomed to a life of sugar – it’s in my genes!In the 1960s and 1970s, workers were allowed to buy boxes of broken biscuits for a pittance from the factory shop.

How we loved Auntie Irene and Auntie Jean visiting ,bearing gifts!

I must also confess to being at least seven before realising chocolate bars weren’t always misshapen and could be purchased from a sweet shop wrapped in brightly coloured paper and biscuits were sold whole, in packets.

A recent poll suggested that out of 600 people quizzed about their own personal biscuit behaviour a surprising 52% thought it unacceptable to dunk biscuits… which doesn’t quite match up to the recent online hype that I witnessed when I asked our friends the same question on social media:- 99% were dunkers! Some however admit that it is something they do behind closed doors, or not if mum is watching! Absolutely no one advised me it wasn’t okay to dunk – it certainly wasn’t a 50/50 split on this important dunking debate.

So why is dunking your biscuit such an etiquette faux pas exactly?

Agreed! I love this and have fond memories of buying boxes of broken biscuits from Kwik Save, and then arguing with my brothers over the coveted mostly whole ones (bonus points if they were covered in chocolate somewhere on the surface!)

You can find R.C Bridgestock on Twitter at @RCBridgestock and at http://www.rcbridgestock.com/

Remember to have a good supply of dunkers if you fancy a chat!

These are the iconic ANZAC biscuits which I make far too rarely these days and which are absolutely lovely as well as great store cuboard user upper. They open conversations about the war, rationing and making do and mend as well as being a most excellent dunker.

Trust me , they may look boring but they taste phenomenal and keep for ages, especially if, like me, you bake things, put them in tins and forget about them…