If you missed quick pickles on Breakfast TV this morning, here’s what you missed….

We made Pear and clove, Peach and ginger, Prune and spices, Sweet peppers and rosemary.

Quick pickles are a fast way to get pickle flavour without having to break out your grannies rusty canning equipment. These are not a true preserving pickle, but they will last for 2-3 weeks in your fridge and they are super easy to make in small batches so it won’t feel like a hassle to whip up a bunch.

The simple  ratio is easy to adjust to suit your taste whether you crave salty pickles, sweet pickles or extra sour pickles. Plus you don’t have to limit your choice of pickling items to cucumbers. There are tonnes of yummy fruits and veggies just begging to be a quickie pickle.

Here is the basic recipe…

Quickie Pickles

2 cups water

1 cups vinegar or acid

1 Tbsp salt (double if you want salty pickles)

1 Tbsp sugar (double if you want sweet pickles)

spices of choice (dried or fresh herbs, spices or any kind of tea)

1½ cups of diced, sliced or broken down vegetable/fruit

Procedure

Bring all the ingredients for the brine to boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let it steep for 10 minutes.

Place the vegetable/fruit in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the brine, straining out the spices if necessary, directly over the vegetable/fruit to cover.

Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and allow pickles to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Will be good to eat in an hour and will last in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Here are the rest of the recipes from the show….

Pear Pickles

2 cups water

¾ cups white wine vinegar

¼ cup sherry vinegar

1 Tbsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

3 cloves

1½ cups of diced pear

Procedure

Bring all the ingredients for the brine to boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let it steep for 10 minutes.

Peel and dice the pear quickly as the pear will oxidize. Place the diced pear in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the brine, straining out the spices if necessary, directly over the diced pear to cover.

Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and allow pickles to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Will be good to eat in an hour and will last in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Serve with crackers and really good stinky blue cheese.

Peach Pickles

2 cups water

¾ cup white wine vinegar

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

2 slices of fresh ginger

zest of ½ orange, removed in big strips using a peeler

1½ cups of peeled and diced peach

Procedure

Bring all the ingredients for the brine to boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let it steep for 10 minutes.

Place the peeled and diced peaches in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the brine, straining out the spices, directly over the peach to cover.

Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and allow pickles to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Will be good to eat in an hour and will last in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Scoop some pickled peaches on a round of brie before it goes in the oven to get all good and gooey.

Peck of pepper Pickles

2 cups water

½ cup white wine vinegar

½ cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp dried rosemary or oregano

1½ cups of small seeded sweet peppers

Procedure

Bring all the ingredients for the brine to boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let it steep for 10 minutes.

Place the seeded peppers in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the brine, straining out the rosemary, directly over the seeded peppers to cover.

Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and allow pickles to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Will be good to eat in an hour and will last in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Serve pickled peppers with all your favourite antipasto meats and cheeses or as a garnish on a pizza or a bowl of pasta.

Prune Pickles

2 cups water

¾ cups red wine vinegar

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

2 sticks of cinnamon

2 cloves

6 black peppercorns

1½ cups of prunes

Procedure

Bring all the ingredients for the brine to boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let it steep for 10 minutes.

Place the prunes in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the brine, straining out the spices, directly over the prunes to cover.

Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and allow pickles to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Will be good to eat in an hour and will last in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Serve these prunes with nice sizzling, dripping roasts or patés.

If you are all the way down here you get a bonus… MORE QUICKLES HERE and HERE

Cowboys eat unhealthy stacks of flap jacks while their adversaries eat green, stay lean and get mean. There isn’t much a competition if the cowboy only has to stay on for 8 seconds. If you want to get the big bull advantage you’ll need to step your game up with one of these detox shakes before (or after) Stampede. Get the steer out of your rear and get it in gear.

Green Bull Energy drink

Makes enough for 2 unless you want it all to yourself

1 oz. shot of wheat grass juice (fresh or frozen, see sourcing below)

1 avocado, peeled and pitted

1/2 english cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 kiwi, peeled

1 1/2  cups white cranberry juice or white grape juice

1/2 cup of ice

1 small handful of cilantro leaves (optional)

Here’s a fair warning before you get going. Wheatgrass is full of health benefits, however it can also have some health issues concerning mold and mildew. Buying fresh wheatgrass means you need to check for mold and mildew which can lead to an upset tummy or worse. Use your juicer to extract the juice or simply buy wheat grass juice by the shot.

In a blender, combine the wheat grass juice, a peeled and pitted avocado, peeled and seeded cucumber, peeled kiwi, white cranberry juice and the optional cilantro.

Put a lid on the blender and turn it on low, gradually increase the speed and blend until nice and smooth.

Add the ice and continue blending until totally smooth.

Serve it nice and cold in a clear glass.

More on wheatgrass…

gets along with

apple, basil, beet juice, cilantro, coconut milk, cucumber juice, lemon, honey, most sweet fruit juices, yogurt.

Sourcing

If you have a juicer you can get live wheatgrass at specialty health shops like Community Natural Foods or the Farmer’s Market. It comes in small hydroponic planter boxes with tightly packed blades of grass like a little bunch of turf.

Since wheatgrass is consumed raw it is important to make sure there is no mold or mildew around the roots which can be quite dangerous and give you a devastating bug or at the very least rough and tumble tummy rumble. When in doubt, throw it out.

Get freshly juiced wheatgrass by the shot at juice joints like Jugo Juice (jugojuice.com) and Booster Juice (www.boosterjuice.com). It tastes the way it looks, so get ready to chase it with something tastier.

OR You can pick up of wheatgrass ice cubes at Planet Organic and Community Natural Foods. Convenient portions of wheatgrass juice frozen and ready for use.

quickeat

Make a green tzatziki. Add some wheatgrass juice to yogurt with lots of cilantro, a grated cucumber (squeeze out the excess juice), a clove of grated garlic and a bit of salt. Use it like a sauce to mellow out spicy curries or for dipping warm pita bread.

tidbit

A one ounce shot of wheatgrass is the nutritional equivalent of 2.5 pounds of garden fresh veggies. It’s packed with the full range of vitamins, antioxydants and green chlorophyll which is the first consumable conversion of sunlight energy.

Celiacs need not worry. Wheatgrass is the first stage in the growth of a wheat plant, but until it sprouts wheat berries it remains gluten-free.

Sometimes the best ideas hit you when you are stumbling drunk.

So when the Breakfast TV crew drunk-texted and asked me to come on the show to make French Fries and Mayonnaise I knew they would probably need liquoring up again for the Mayo show.

I arrived at 5:30 am to a round of drinking games (every time a C-train passes, you take a shot) and after an invigorating brawl outside (won by Rob) we whipped up a batch of fries and mayonnaise to soak up the excess. Andrew gets pretty grabby when he tips back a few…

I joke, I joke… sort of.

Here’s the clip.

And here are the recipes for 8 kinds of mayonnaise. If you are lucky enough to have 9 lives you’ll have one spare after you’ve tried all of these killer mayos.

Mayonnaise

These are so incredibly easy, just combine the ingredients in small bowls and serve with a spoon to garnish. Make all of them or choose a couple and double up the recipe. Serve the mayo with fries or plop it on a burger or sammy, heck you could even toss it with some warm boiled potatoes for some deluxe potato salad.

Homemade mayonnaise

1 egg yolk (room temperature)

1 tsp of Dijon mustard

1 cup of canola or vegetable oil

Acid to taste (lemon juice, vinegar, etc)

Salt to taste

Start with a clean bowl, and vigorously whisk the egg yolk and Dijon mustard together. Continue whisking steadily while very carefully adding the olive oil 1 drop at a time—try pouring oil into a spoon, then adding the oil drop by drop from the spoon into the bowl. This will start the emulsion, and it should begin to thicken and start looking like mayonnaise. Continue to whisk, drizzling the oil slowly and in a very thin stream this time. When half the oil is incorporated you can pour the rest in a little faster than before (but not too fast).

The result should be a thick, gloopy mayonnaise.

To thin out the consistency and brighten up the whitness, whisk in the lemon juice or vinegar and don’t forget to season to taste. Transfer to a smaller bowl add your flavour choices from the list below, cover and place in the fridge while the flavours develop.

1. Guacamayo

1 cup mayonnaise

½ avocado, mushed up very smooth

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and very finely minced

½ tsp sundried tomatoes, minced

zest and juice of 1 lime

pinch of chili powder

pinch of salt

2. Smoking pepper

1 cup mayonnaise

chipotle sauce, to taste

2 cloves of garlic, grated

zest and juice of 1 lime

pinch of salt

3. Honey mustard

1 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp mustard of choice

2 Tbsp honey of choice

pinch of salt

4. rusted red brick

1 cup mayonnaise

½ tsp sweet paprika

¼ cup finely chopped pimentos (roasted red pepper)

pinch of salt

5. Sauce Gribiche

1 cup mayonnaise

1 hardboiled egg, finely minced

2 gherkin pickles, finely minced

1 shallot

10 capers, roughly chopped

1 sprig parsley, finely minced

3 chives, finely sliced

pinch of salt

6. Sunny Lemon

1 cup mayonnaise

juice and zest of 1 lemon

½ tsp of tumeric or yellow curry powder

½ clove garlic, grated

pinch Saffron

pinch of salt

7. Sushi mayo

1 cup mayonnaise

½ tsp wasabi paste or powder

1 tsp finely minced pickled sushi ginger

2 tsp yuzu juice (or lemon juice)

pinch of salt

8. Dirty Roasted Garlic Aioli

½ mayonnaise

4 cloves of roasted garlic

¼ tsp balsamic vinegar

pinch of salt

We started at the Magrath showhome with Spinach Cigars. The highlight was certainly the 12 foot island in the showstopping kitchen.

Then we headed over to Laurel for creamy cauliflower and cheddar soup spiked with roasted grapes and toasted pinenuts. Works great on a hot or cold day.

For the main we ended up at the Ellerslie house for Braised Shortribs on soft polenta with an herb salad. No surprise there was a crowd waiting for this main.

And finally we wrapped things up at the Ambleside house where the sunshine brought out the crowds to sample the last course Citrus Panna Cotta. So here’s the last recipe…

This is like the ultimate grown up version of jello. It’s impressive and delicious and doesn’t take all that much effort, just a little pre-planning.

Citrus adds a really nice light fragrance to this wiggly lovely panna cotta (Italian milk jelly) to serve up on those hot summer nights. It kind of tastes a bit like fruit loops, just don’t tell that to your fancy guests.

Prepare them a couple hours ahead so the gelatin has time to set in the fridge, or make it the night before so it’s totally out of the way.

Citrus Panna Cotta

1½ cups 2% milk

1 cup cream

1 packet gelatin

zest of 1 orange

zest of 1 lemon

zest of 1 lime

½ cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Pour ½ cup of milk into a bowl, sprinkle in the gelatin, and mix with a fork to disperse the gelatin.

To zest the citrus, use a peeler to pull off long strips of the zest. This makes picking them out much easier later on.

Bring the remaining milk, cream, sugar and zest to a boil in a small pot. When the liquid has boiled and the sugar has dissolved turn off the heat. Cover for the pot and allow the flavours to infuse for at least 10 minutes.

Bring the milk back to a boil and pour directly into the bowl with the gelatin.

Whisk for 1 minute so the gelatin dissolves completely. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then divide it evenly into 8 clear glasses, leaving plenty of room for adding the pesto later. Place the glasses into the fridge and let them firm up for at least 2 hours. In the meantime you can mak e your pesto.

Mint and Honey Pesto

Hazelnuts have a beautiful fragrance, but are difficult to pulverize because they are so hard. Almonds are also a little tough. Both nuts will benefit from a quick toasting to make them easier to chop-chop and to enhance their flavour. Get almonds and hazelnuts without skin, which adds an unfavourable texture and colour. Serve on strawberries, melon, or citrus panna cotta.

4 cups packed fresh mint

1 cup toasted, blanched almonds or hazelnuts

juice of 1 orange

juice of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lime

¼ cup honey

Traditionally pestos are made using a mortar and pestle. A mortar is a large heavy bowl carved from marble, but can also be made from ceramic or cast iron. The pestle is a mashing device made of the same material as the bowl and used to pulverize the contents of the bowl. The words “pesto” and “pestle” derive from the same Latin root word that means to pound or crush.

Toss everything into your macerating device of choice and blend until you reach your desired consistency whether you like your pesto chunky or smooth.

To make larger batches in a fraction of the time try using your whiz-bang blender.

Freeze the leftovers in ice-cube trays covered in cling wrap for handy pesto hits whenever you need it.

To Serve

Get a firm panna cotta cold from the fridge and top it with pesto.

Main Course served on May 15th at the Ambleside showhome: 2803 Anderson Place, Edmonton, Alberta

If you can’t join ‘em, beat ‘em … beat ‘em good!

Soft avocados // Rough quac with roast tomatoes

1 avocado

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

drizzle olive oil

sprinkle of chili powder

2 green onions, sliced thin

100 g queso fresco or feta cheese

In a baking dish, toss the tomatoes with the oil and a pinch of salt. Bake at 450˚F until the tomatoes release juices, get a little dark around the edges and start to get shrivelled.

Use your thumbs to mush up the avocado inside the peel. Mush it up really well without breaking the skin.

Break open the skin and scoop it all into a bowl. Top it loosely with tomatoes, sprinkle of chili powder, sliced green onion, queso fresco and squeeze on the lime juice. Serve it rough with some nachos and cerveza.

Hard avocados // Creamy quac with coconut milk

1 avocado

zest and juice of 1 lime

3-4 whole sprigs of cilantro

¼ cup coconut milk

pinch salt

In a blender combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt if needed.

Serve it in a bowl with some nachos and cerveza.

Medium avocados // Chop guac with mango

1 avocado, chopped

1 mango, chopped

2 sprigs of cilantro, chopped

¼ red onion, finely chopped

½ red chili, finely chopped

juice and zest of 1 orange

drizzle of olive or avocado oil

Chop all ingredients and toss gently in a bowl with orange juice and a drizzle of oil. Serve it up with some nachos and cerveza.

Ripe on // If your avocados are rock hard you can expedite the ripening process by tossing them in a brown paper bag with an apple or tomato and leaving them on the counter at room temperature for a day. No paper bag? Wrap it all in some of that newspaper right there… the sports section would be an appropriate choice.

Waking up takes super human strength. You need an action-packed breakfast to get you up, up and away. Here is a top-secret formula to help you get up to full power with your own all-or-nothin’ muffin creation.

Stick to the recipe ratio to create your own custom muffin supped-up with with all kinds of super awesome flavour powers, enjoy them on the fly and you will be up to full speed in n time.

Create your own or try one of these awesome combos.  To oversee major projects try the SuperVisor Muffin, for boundless bounding energy try the Bananuts Muffin or to be a super tuned-up dude, try the Stud Muffin or create your own muffin to come to your rescue.

Now get out there and be the best muffin you can be. 

Basic Muffin Formula 

Dry ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp spice (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ground ginger, ground coriander, etc)

1 cup of dry Muffinhancers 

Dry Muffinhancers: Any combination of chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, dried cranberries, goji berries, raisins, prunes, toasted coconut, dried apricots, chocolate chips, white chocolate chunks, chopped dates, toasted pinenuts. So put any of these in, as long as they don’t exceed 1 cup

Wet ingredients

1 cup plain %3.5 yogurt

1/4 cup melted butter (or vegetable oil)

1 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

pinch of  salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups of wet Muffinhancers

Wet Muffinhancers: Any combination of mashed banana, grated zucchini, grated carrots, grated apple, grated carrot, frozen blueberries, frozen raspberries, frozen grapes, mango puree, chopped up orange. So put any combination of these wet ingredients in, as long as they don’t exceed 1 ½ cups. 

PROCEDURE

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Grease a muffin tin (12 count) with grease spray or butter.

Get two big bowls. In the first bowl combine the dry ingredients (except the dry muffinhancers). Instead of sifting the ingredients you can simply run a whisk through a couple times to break up any dry lumps.

In the other bowl combine yogurt, sugar, melted butter, egg and extract. Mix it all up until it’s good and smooth. Now mix in both the wet and dry Muffinhancers and stir to distribute.

Make sure your oven is set and the muffin tin is greased up before you combine the wet and dry. It’ll need to happen pretty quickly.

Pour the dry mix into the wet bowl and fold gently with a spatula while you count slowly to 15. The result should be a very lumpy batter, with frequent dry floury spots. It’s better if it’s not a smooth batter.

Now use an ice-cream scoop with a trigger release (really good for even distribution) or just a big spoon to fill the muffin tray evenly. Fill it up to the top of the tray, but try not to go much higher or you will end up with a muffin eruption. 

Blap the muffin tray into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Check the muffins at 20 minutes and test them for doneness.

To make sure the muffins are done, simply stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean the muffins are done, but if it’s covered in batter, bake them for 3 minute increments until the toothpick comes out clean.

When they are done, make a wish that they will all pop out of the muffin tray, then turn it over onto a clean tea towel to let them cool.

Makes 12 muffins.

If you plan to freeze your muffins, just make sure they are nice and cool, then place them in sealable plastic bags and remove as much air as possible then pop them in the freezer.

Click each of these for more recipes

When you need to summon all your powers to oversee the task ahead make sure you chow back one of these awesome muffins… plus it will make you thrilled to know that this muffin tastes just like a carrot cake. Makes it look pretty sweet when you see it in a new light.

Dry ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp corriander

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cloves

¼ tsp nutmeg

Dry Muffinhancers

½ cup raisins

¼ cup walnuts

¼ cup coconut

Wet ingredients

1 cup plain %3.5 yogurt

1/4 cup melted butter (or vegetable oil)

1 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

pinch of  salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Wet Muffinhancers

1 cup grated carrot

½ cup peeled chopped orange

PROCEDURE

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Grease a muffin tin (12 count) with grease spray or butter.

Get two big bowls. In the first bowl combine the dry ingredients (except the dry muffinhancers). Instead of sifting the ingredients you can simply run a whisk through a couple times to break up any dry lumps.

In the other bowl combine yogurt, sugar, melted butter, egg and extract. Mix it all up until it’s good and smooth. Now mix in both the wet and dry Muffinhancers and stir to distribute.

Make sure your oven is set and the muffin tin is greased up before you combine the wet and dry. It’ll need to happen pretty quickly.

Pour the dry mix into the wet bowl and fold gently with a spatula while you count slowly to 15. The result should be a very lumpy batter, with frequent dry floury spots. It’s better if it’s not a smooth batter.

Now use an ice-cream scoop with a trigger release (really good for even distribution) or just a big spoon to fill the muffin tray evenly. Fill it up to the top of the tray, but try not to go much higher or you will end up with a muffin eruption. 

Blap the muffin tray into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Check the muffins at 20 minutes and test them for doneness.

To make sure the muffins are done, simply stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean the muffins are done, but if it’s covered in batter, bake them for 3 minute increments until the toothpick comes out clean.

When they are done, make a wish that they will all pop out of the muffin tray, then turn it over onto a clean tea towel to let them cool.

Makes 12 muffins.

If you plan to freeze your muffins, just make sure they are nice and cool, then place them in sealable plastic bags and remove as much air as possible then pop them in the freezer.

Are you worried about your muffin top? Don’t skip breakfast or you’ll be heading towards the vending machine for a gnarly sugar bomb when the hunger pangs start. Instead eat a healthy and delicious energy packed muffin with vitamin packed zucchini and crazy-energy loaded goji berries…. and chocolate chips because you’re awesome.

Dry ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

Dry Muffinhancers

½ cup goji berries

½ cup chocolate chips

Wet ingredients

1 cup plain %3.5 yogurt

1/4 cup melted butter (or vegetable oil)

1 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

pinch of  salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Wet Muffinhancers

1 cup grated zucchini

½ cup grated apple

PROCEDURE

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Grease a muffin tin (12 count) with grease spray or butter.

Get two big bowls. In the first bowl combine the dry ingredients (except the dry muffinhancers). Instead of sifting the ingredients you can simply run a whisk through a couple times to break up any dry lumps.

In the other bowl combine yogurt, sugar, melted butter, egg and extract. Mix it all up until it’s good and smooth. Now mix in both the wet and dry Muffinhancers and stir to distribute.

Make sure your oven is set and the muffin tin is greased up before you combine the wet and dry. It’ll need to happen pretty quickly.

Pour the dry mix into the wet bowl and fold gently with a spatula while you count slowly to 15. The result should be a very lumpy batter, with frequent dry floury spots. It’s better if it’s not a smooth batter.

Now use an ice-cream scoop with a trigger release (really good for even distribution) or just a big spoon to fill the muffin tray evenly. Fill it up to the top of the tray, but try not to go much higher or you will end up with a muffin eruption. 

Blap the muffin tray into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Check the muffins at 20 minutes and test them for doneness.

To make sure the muffins are done, simply stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean the muffins are done, but if it’s covered in batter, bake them for 3 minute increments until the toothpick comes out clean.

When they are done, make a wish that they will all pop out of the muffin tray, then turn it over onto a clean tea towel to let them cool.

Makes 12 muffins.

If you plan to freeze your muffins, just make sure they are nice and cool, then place them in sealable plastic bags and remove as much air as possible then pop them in the freezer.

Nutty to the point of distraction, this muffin is vibrating full of long-lasting energy food like bananas and nuts. Choose raw nuts for more nutty-goodness or roasted nuts for a larger mass-appeal. Either way enjoy it and try not to get too crazy for these crazy-delicious muffins. 

Dry ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground corriander

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp nutmeg

Dry Muffinhancers

¼ cup chopped cashews

¼ cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup chopped almonds

¼ cup chopped hazelnuts

Wet ingredients

1 cup plain %3.5 yogurt

1/4 cup melted butter (or vegetable oil)

1 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

pinch of  salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Wet Muffinhancers

1 1/2 cups mashed extra ripe banana (approx 3 bananas)

PROCEDURE

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Grease a muffin tin (12 count) with grease spray or butter.

Get two big bowls. In the first bowl combine the dry ingredients (except the dry muffinhancers). Instead of sifting the ingredients you can simply run a whisk through a couple times to break up any dry lumps.

In the other bowl combine yogurt, sugar, melted butter, egg and extract. Mix it all up until it’s good and smooth. Now mix in both the wet and dry Muffinhancers and stir to distribute.

Make sure your oven is set and the muffin tin is greased up before you combine the wet and dry. It’ll need to happen pretty quickly.

Pour the dry mix into the wet bowl and fold gently with a spatula while you count slowly to 15. The result should be a very lumpy batter, with frequent dry floury spots. It’s better if it’s not a smooth batter.

Now use an ice-cream scoop with a trigger release (really good for even distribution) or just a big spoon to fill the muffin tray evenly. Fill it up to the top of the tray, but try not to go much higher or you will end up with a muffin eruption. 

Blap the muffin tray into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Check the muffins at 20 minutes and test them for doneness.

To make sure the muffins are done, simply stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean the muffins are done, but if it’s covered in batter, bake them for 3 minute increments until the toothpick comes out clean.

When they are done, make a wish that they will all pop out of the muffin tray, then turn it over onto a clean tea towel to let them cool.

Makes 12 muffins.

If you plan to freeze your muffins, just make sure they are nice and cool, then place them in sealable plastic bags and remove as much air as possible then pop them in the freezer.

Get em’ while they’re fresh and cold!

It doesn’t matter that it’s freezing outside, everyone will flock to these sweet holiday treats.

The fresh fallen snow looks absolutely scrumptious when the sun twinkles off a bed of tiny pristinely unique flakes. Grab a handful of that lovely white fluffy stuff before the dog yellows it up, pack it tight and use it to make some of these brain-freezing, mind-numbing seasonal snowcone flavours.

If you are planning on getting together with some grownups, there are also some ideas for snotinis to warm your holiday spirits!

Spicy christmas cone

2 sticks cinnamon

6 cloves zest of 1 orange

3 slices of ginger

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

2-3 drops of red food colouring

Combine cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange zest, ginger, sugar and water in a pot and bring to a boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow the syrup to cool down to room temperature before adding food colouring. Transfer to a bottle and store it in the refrigerator for a couple weeks. When the syrup is chilled get a tightly packed ball of pristine clean snow and top it with syrup to taste. Smells like Christmas spirit!

Pinecone

6 Juniper berries

3 sprigs of Rosemary

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

2-3 drops of green food colouring

Combine juniper berries, rosemary, sugar and water in a pot and bring to a boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow the syrup to cool down to room temperature before adding food colouring. Transfer to a bottle and store it in the refrigerator for a couple weeks. When the syrup is chilled get a tightly packed ball of pristine clean snow and top it with syrup to taste. Smells like Christmas spirit!

Candy-cone

8 candy canes, broken

1 cup water

2-3 drops of red food colouring

Combine broken candy canes and water in a pot and bring to a boil until the candy canes are completely dissolved. Allow the syrup to cool down to room temperature before adding food colouring. Transfer to a bottle and store it in the refrigerator for a couple weeks. When the syrup is chilled get a tightly packed ball of pristine clean snow and top it with syrup to taste. Aaaaah, refreshing!