Unlock sourdough baking with Max's step-by-step guide. From starter to loaf using just flour, water, salt and time. Key techniques and recipes included.

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It’s been over a year since the initial launch of Max Makes Munch, and a lot has happened in that time. I’ve loved sharing all my cooking adventures with you on Instagram and posting some recipes on my website, but now it’s time to crank it up a gear.

My wife and I recently moved to a new apartment. One of our main criteria for our search was a larger and more open plan kitchen that would be suitable for making YouTube videos. When coming up with the initial proposition for Max Makes Munch, I had always envisioned recipe videos being a large part of it. I’m so excited to say that it is now possible.

In addition to the new kitchen, I redeveloped my website entirely from the ground up. I hope you agree with my belief that the new design is a vast improvement.

Christmas, everyone’s favourite season of festivities. It’s a time spent with our close family and friends, a time of indulgence, a warming respite from the bleakest midwinter.

Everyone knows that there are both good Christmases and bad. It only takes one or two small things to bring it down. Family falling out, a lover deciding they’re not sure it’s going anywhere, someone you care about not liking the gift you put all that thought and effort into. There’s one thing, however, that can make everything feel right as rain and bring everyone back together again: food.

Although gift giving has become an important aspect, food and drink are among the first things that come to mind as December approaches. What could be more Christmassy than warm cups of mulled wine sipped alongside mince pies at a large gathering? Rather than go down the route of telling you how I cook turkey, as there are many guides for this both in books and online, this year I wanted to start my festive food guide by talking about a few key dishes that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without.

Homemade Mince Pies

When I was younger, I wasn’t much of a fan of these, but now I love them! Perhaps it was the brandy. Mince pies have been an English traditional festive treat for centuries, although they have evolved over time. I like to make these using homemade vegetarian-friendly mincemeat, resulting in light and fruity mince pies.

Crisp Yet Fluffy Roast Potatoes Every Time

Arguably more important than the mouthwatering roasted meat, perfectly roasted potatoes are ready to mop up all the juices and gravy, and it’s so satisfying! A simple side dish made by many, but my foolproof formula will give you soft and fluffy roasties with a crispy shell every time.

Traditional Viennese Vanillekipferl

My great-grandmother’s recipe has been handed down from generation to generation. These buttery almond biscuits coated in vanilla are served after every Christmas meal in our household and have now become my wife’s all-time favourite. I have to hide them from her, otherwise they’ll all disappear.

Fresh & Zingy Cranberry Sauce

Most shop-bought cranberry sauces are thick, sweet and jelly/jam-like, and that's ok if that's what you're after. They're often lacking one of the most fundamentally wonderful things about cranberries, however, their acidity and bitterness, which are both qualities that are great for cutting through a fatty roast. This sauce takes barely 10 minutes to make and can be made a day or two in advance.

Gingerbread

Gingerbread brings back fond memories of my childhood. Often, the waft of freshly baking ginger biscuits would tempt me down the stairs to the kitchen. As I have gotten older, gingerbread is now reserved for Christmas. If you punch a hole in the top before baking, they can make wonderful Christmas tree ornaments by tying a ribbon or string through—they won't last long on the tree if there are kids about.

Devil’s on Horseback

While pigs in blankets are the more well-known bacon-wrapped bite, I feel that devils on horseback deserve to be more in the limelight. Using either prunes or dates, the dried fruit adds subtle sweetness, which works wonderfully with the savoury bacon. Just like pigs in blankets, devils on horseback are a great snack to be handed around a drinks party or as a side to a festive roast.

Naturally Leavened Panettone

Probably my favourite of all Christmassy baked goods: panettone. Dunking a huge slice into a hot cup of black coffee makes a cold, wintery morning feel 10 times better. I can’t start cooking on Christmas Day without this morning ritual. My recipe is made just like the traditional panettoni of old, mixed by hand and raised using natural yeast for a fermentation period of over 30 hours. Believe me when I say this recipe is worth the effort!

I woke up at 5:30 am just to make my wife a birthday cake before she woke up! Combining coverture chocolate and apricot jam, this delicious cake was inspired by the Sachertorte.

Suffice to say, it was well received. New video on YouTube of the event.

After months of being cooped up in our Toronto apartment, my wife and I decided to escape the city and take a trip to Prince Edward County to go and visit some wineries. It’s a perfect weekend getaway for those living in Ontario. An abundance of local produce fills the lands of this peninsula on Lake Ontario.

Just a two-hour drive east of Toronto, and about three and a half hours west of Montreal, Prince Edward County is technically an island, although it is connected by road to the mainland. It’s the fastest-growing wine region in Canada, with over 40 wineries, along with several breweries and cideries. The small towns and villages contain boutique shops selling local art and crafts, small local independent restaurants, as well as some Torontonian restaurateurs choosing to set up shop here, too. Local produce is in abundance, and farm-to-table dining is prominent.

If the weather permits, a trip to Sandbanks Provincial Park with its three beaches and dune trail can be a pleasant break from sipping and supping. With plenty of activities and lots to see, do and taste, we’ll be back to the county before long, but perhaps next time I’ll bring my bike.

Sometimes it may be far more convenient to buy a piece of chicken for a meal; however, do you realise how much of a premium you are paying to have someone joint a chicken for you? Whenever I am at the supermarket, I always look at the cost per gram rather than the cost per packet of an item. While also looking at the quality of produce, I’m also ensuring I am always buying the best value option available. Buying a whole chicken may seem expensive, but per gram, it is by far the most cost-effective way to purchase chicken meat, especially if the giblets are included. Even if I don’t want to cook the whole bird right away, I’ll always buy the whole chicken, and I advise you to do the same.

You can easily refrigerate or freeze the other pieces until you need them. The best part of all, you can easily make a stock which can be used in all sorts of soups, risottos, sauces, gravies and much more. Once I’ve made a stock, I will keep a small bowl in the fridge to use right away and then freeze small portions to defrost whenever necessary to add extra depth of flavour to my dishes.

Make sure your knives are sharp before starting. You will need a large and sturdy chopping board and a sharp chef’s knife. You can also use a boning knife, a carving knife or a butcher’s knife, but a chef’s knife is a good all-rounder.

1. Remove the legs

Remove the chicken from its packaging and place it on your chopping board. Start by removing the legs. To do this, gently cut the skin between the leg and the breast at the top, then put your knife down. Hold the leg firmly in one hand and place your other hand on the breast. Bend the leg backwards until it pops out of the joint. Now, take your knife and cut between the joint. Now do the same on the other side.

2. Seperate the thighs and drumsticks

Find the joint between the thigh and drumstick with your fingers on one of the legs. Find the gap between the hinge joint, then cut through the joint with your knife. Now repeat with the other leg.

3. Remove the wings

Removing the wing is similar, however, not quite as easy, but it becomes simple with practice. The joint is located under the breast. Stretch out the wing, then angle your knife in towards the bird at an angle down. Cut in until you get to the joint, then cut down. Now repeat with the other wing.

4. Remove the breasts

Turn the bird so that the front of the breast is facing towards you. Feel down the top to find the breastbone. Run your knife slowly and firmly down one side of the breastbone towards you. When you reach the wishbone at the front, hold your knife tightly and place your other hand on top of the knife. Firmly bring the knife down to cut through the wishbone in one motion. Now you can slowly start cutting the breast away from the bird’s ribcage. Take your time, slowly cutting along the bone in repeated motions from back to front. Repeat on the other side.

At this point, you will have removed all the pieces from the bird. Don’t worry if you haven’t removed every scrap of meat from the carcass, as it will just add flavour to your stock. I like to remove the drumstick knuckles and wingtips from the legs and wings, too, and add them to my stock with the carcass.

There’s nothing more satisfying than a delicious pie in perfectly cooked pastry. I adore a good pie. In fact, arguably my favourite dessert has got to be Lemon Meringue Pie—apart from when nothing but chocolate will do.

To make all sorts of superb pies or tarts, one must start by lining a tart tin. It may seem a little challenging to lift the pastry into the tin, but it’s really simple when you know how. Below, I will outline how to line a tart tin in 4 simple steps. The ideal tart tin to use is metal and has a removable bottom. The metal tends to make the pastry cook better, and the removable bottom allows you to simply press up on the base to remove the tart from the tin.

1. Roll out the pastry

Roll out the pastry with a rolling pin on a cool, lightly floured surface. You want to aim to roll it into a circle that is about an inch or so larger than the tart tin you’re using.

2. Lift the pastry

Flip the pastry over the rolling pin and lift the pastry into your tin.

3. Press down

Gently press the pastry flat across the base of the tin and up at the sides.

4. Trim excess

To cut off any excess pastry, roll the rolling pin all around the top edge of the tin. Now you can fill your pastry with your preferred pie filling.

Although steaming a pudding may sound like a daunting challenge, it’s quite simple once you know how. Many modern pudding basins have made it even easier by including a raised lid. Below, I will outline the technique to secure the top of a traditional pudding basin and how to steam puddings in order to make desserts such as sticky toffee pudding.

If you don’t have a lipped pudding basin to hand, you can use any lipped heatproof bowl. To demonstrate this, I have used a stainless steel bowl with a very small lip in the photos for this article.

1. Prepare the water

Grab a large lidded saucepan and place an upturned saucer or plate in the bottom (if you have a suitable trivet, then use that). Fill the saucepan with enough water to reach halfway up the pudding basin and heat to a boil.

2. Fill the pudding basin

Fill the pudding basin with your desired pudding mixture. Make sure you leave enough room for the pudding to rise.

3. Fold a pleat

Take a large enough piece of greaseproof paper to cover the top of your pudding basin and fold a pleat. Take some aluminium foil and do the same.

4. Cover and secure

Place both the greaseproof paper followed by the aluminium foil on top of the bowl, and using a piece of string, secure them in place under the rim of the bowl. Trim the foil and paper to about 1 inch away from the string.

5. Make a handle

Take a double length of string and use it to make a handle for lifting in and out of the pot easily. Tie it to both sides of the string you used to secure the lid.

6. Steam the pudding

Carefully lower your pudding into the boiling water. Place the lid on your saucepan, adjust the heat so that the water is only just boiling. Follow your recipe’s instructions for cooking length, being careful to regularly check that the water level is adequate.

7. Remove and enjoy

After your pudding has finished cooking, carefully remove the pudding basin from your pot using the handle you made earlier. Let the pudding stand for a few minutes before removing the foil and paper from the top. Loosen the edges of the pudding with a knife. Place a deep plate upside down on top of your pudding basin and turn both over together. Lift off the pudding basin and enjoy.