I went to my favorite coffee spot this morning to have a latte, and sit and read the paper in peace. Every now and again, I casually dunked the cookie I had purchased into my latte. As I dunked, I noticed a woman glaring at me, her eyebrow raising each time my cookie hit the coffee, and I began to wonder if I was committing some heinous social faux pas. Everyone dunks don’t they? Don't they?!?!?
This incident got me thinking about the very essence of dunking and the propriety surrounding its execution. Is it acceptable to dunk in public, or should dunking be confined solely to the privacy of one's own home? Should anti-dunkers force their dunking convictions upon pro-dunkers or vice-versa? After due consideration, and a quick consult with *Miss Manners, I decided that this woman's singular act of snobbery had left me unmoved, and that I would continue to dunk proudly, knowing in my heart that it does not in any way reflect upon my civility.
Personally, I am an equal opportunity dunker; I have even been known to plunge a donut now and then. But cookies remain my favorite dunk, and shortbread and sugar cookies in particular. As store bought cookies go, Le Petit Ecolier biscuit cookies with extra dark chocolate are excellent, as are Walker's Shortbreads and even Lorna Doones. But the finest dunk I've ever had are these homemade sugar cookies.
Pat's Sugar Cookies
Preheat oven to 375
4 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. sugar
1 C. powdered sugar
1 C. butter, softened
1 C. canola oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
pearl sugar
Sift together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Set aside. Beat sugar, powdered sugar, butter and oil together until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and stir well. Place small balls of dough on cookie sheet and flatten lightly with a fork. Sprinkle with pearl sugar and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Cool on rack.
I know, it's a lot of butter and oil, but I hope that will not deter you from trying this recipe. It makes about 40 wonderfully rich, sandy cookies. Even the non-dunkers among us will enjoy them. And to those of you who are not dunkers, but who are dunk-curious, I suggest that you ease in slowly, perhaps starting out with a dunking aid. Enjoy!
*Miss Manners says dunking is fine, as long as you break the donut or biscuit in half before dunking.
3 comments:
I dunked Biscotti when I imbibed. Top Chef News at the Troll Report today! Enter and win!
I dunk, but only into cold milk. If I dunk into anything too warm, the donut/cookie/etc. gets too soggy for Moi's taste.
Hmmm . . . interesting, that breaking in half thing. Who'd a thunk it?
''should dunking be confined solely to the privacy of one's own home? ''
Yes, behind closed doors with the lights off, and with a machine making white-noise so no one else will hear...
Actually, I can't imagine any one objecting - not unless you were dining with the queen, or you left a trail of soggy crumbs on the table.
*Was she wearing a crown? Or did you lean over to slurp soggy sugary bits off the tabletop?
(Inquiring minds and all that... ;-)
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