To Dunk or Not To Dunk?

Apparently it's #Nationalbiscuitday but to me every day is a #biscuitday.

Let me start by saying that I really like Rich Tea biscuits. My husband and son both think they are unworthy of being called a biscuit. They are wrong!

I love biscuits. I think I might even be addicted to biscuits. I've tried to give them up but to no avail. They are a as much a part of me as being a Northerner!

I'm not fussy either. I am just as happy to eat the cheapest of the cheap biscuits, as I am eating homemade biscuits (although my shortbread is better than anyone else's!).

My recent Facebook live demo was the classic Chocolate Chip Cookies. I made Vegan ones and classic New York Style ones, but I also made a Brownie/cookie dessert with them and showed you how to make edible cookie dough. Each one is completely delicious but it's not what this blog is about.

This is about Dunking.

I am proud to say that I am a dunker. My husband is a dunker too, but sadly my son isn't (I question whether he wasn't swapped at birth because he doesn't like cake either!).

The contest to see who can dunk a biscuit without it falling into their tea, is real. Currently, I believe that I am in the lead, probably because I eat the most biscuits.

If you want to tip the dunking scale in your favour then you should try Biscotti.

Biscotti are an Italian, twice-baked biscuit that originates from the Tuscan city of Prato. It's literally designed and baked with dunking in mind.

Traditionally it contains almonds but I tend to stay away from anything with nuts in my kitchen. My recipe, therefore, contains lots of chunks of chocolate to make up for it.

It's a really simple recipe to make.

Firstly you add all of the ingredients together to make a dough, divide the dough into 2 logs and bake them. They are removed from the oven, sliced using a serrated knife, and then put back in the oven to bake again and become really crisp.

Allow them to cool, dip in chocolate and enjoy with either a cup of your favourite tea or coffee.

The resulting biscuit is hard but it's this quality that allows it to be dunked in a hot drink without fear of it falling in when you hold it in for too long.

The hardness also allows them to be kept for a long time, if you can resist eating them all they will keep for several months.

Because the dough is plain you can add a whole host of different flavours and textures. It's great with sliced almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, raisins or dried cranberries, and chocolate chips are great mix-ins too. Add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger to make them into a seasonal gift.

Tips for success:

Make sure that before you start this recipe you are available to see it through to the end. Once you start the baking process you will need to be on hand to slice the logs when they are still warm, so don't go out and leave them to go cold before you have completed the final stage.

Use a serrated knife to slice the warm logs because they will be fragile at this stage.

Once you have sliced them, lay the individual biscuits on their sides to get maximum crispness. Turn them after 15 minutes so that both sides get crisp.

Other than that, they are really easy and delicious!

Enjoy.