Monday, April 5, 2010

The Ultimate Supporting Character

The Fancy French word is nonpareils, but they are more commonly know as sprinkles or jimmies.
How is it that something so tiny can have such a huge influence over our decision making? A chocolate glazed doughnut is tempting enough in its own right, but just add a few sprinkles and it becomes practically irresistible. "Sprinkles" is the general term used to describe anything from the familiar cylindrical or round shapes, to sanding sugar and confetti, to countless new shapes now available. Doughnuts, ice cream and cupcakes are quite commonly adorned with these confectionery companions.
The most common technique for applying these tiny ticklers of the palate is to lightly "sprinkle" them over the desert of choice (hence the name). My nephew, however, employs the method of dumping a large quantity of said sprinkles into a bowl and then dipping the cupcake, etc., into the sprinkles, thus assuring maximum coverage. Bravo, Alex. Bravo.
Ah, the humble sprinkle. Content to be the bridesmaid of the desert world. I salute you my friend, and I dare not envision a world where you are not a part of it.

6 comments:

  1. You know, while the eternal battle of cool whip vs sprinkles rages on, it is clear to me what the ultimate finisher really is.

    And I agree with you, for it is the sprinkle. Reasons as follows:

    1) They are visually stimulating. More colorful than the dreary and drab Cool Whip, the colors bedazzle even the most hardened of post-dinner critics.

    2) They chew up less precious real estate than Fool Whip. Why stuff yourself with puffed ANYTHING? All it's going to lead to is more dessert left on your plate or bowl, a tummy ache, and the most feared of meal fallout: gas. Sprinkles are minuscule and more importantly, compact. While Cool Whip has a slight advantage in the taste department, it's nit enough to make up the ground lost to our precious sprinkle.

    2a) The space saved by replacing other finishers with sprinkles speaks for itself.

    3) Try leaving a container of Stool Whip and a canister of sprinkles in the car during a hot summer day. Which one is safe to eat after such a test? I rest my case.

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  2. Cool Whip serves an important purpose when it comes to the last course of a meal, no less deserving of a silver medal. It lacks the broad range of uses that the sprinkle posses, however. I have often eaten cool as the dessert itself, and, on occasion, topped Cool Whip with, you guessed it, sprinkles.

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  3. I was not aware that the 'Whip can qualify as a standalone dessert per your testimony. Perhaps a convention discussing the category placement of Cool Whip should be considered...

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  4. I have a huge sweet tooth. When desperate I have mixed some Hershey's syrup in with Cool Whip and a few nuts and made a decent dessert.

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  5. My sweet tooth blackmailed my other teeth into being co-conspirators. Entire packages of chocolate chips have disappeared under their watch.

    My favorite homemade dessert would be gutted strawberries dipped in melted almond bark and cooed in the fridge on some foil.

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  6. Jimmies! Those used to be my favorite ice cream topping. I've since moved on to cacao nibs though :)

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