Plain yogurt. We know we are supposed to eat it and we ultimately enjoy the taste. Aspartame, gelatin, cornstarch…no thank you! Then why is it so hard to remember the whole container of 2% plain yogurt that usually wanders to the back corners of the fridge? What can you do once you are bored of the plain and simple and want to jazz up what is left before expiration time?

1. Preserved fruit or fruit syrup: My favourite concoctions of late include a heaping spoonful of Okanagan cherries I canned last summer with a drizzle of the syrup. Alternatively, a generous swirl of blueberry syrup by Summerland Sweets does the trick. Perfect brown bag lunch companion.

2. Maple & pecan: Drizzle pure maple syrup over plain yogurt. Top with chopped pecans.

3. Yogurt biscuits: The quickest biscuit recipe ever, this treat can be made both savoury (alongside a steaming bowl of soup) and sweet (delicate cinnamon biscuits for your breakfast guests). For savoury, I like throwing in an earthy herb like rosemary before rolling out the dough. For a sweet version, roll the dough out as you would a batch of cinnamon buns; cover with soft butter, cinnamon and dark brown sugar; and arrange into a jelly roll before slicing and baking. In no time you have perfection and your entire house will smell better than your resident bakery. I recently made this childhood version on a whim, much to a cinnamon bun fanatic’s delight.

Yogurt Biscuits

2 ¼ cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup butter
1 ¼ cup yogurt
1-2 tbsp sugar, if making the cinnamon biscuit variation

Preheat oven at 400°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix dry ingredients and fork in butter until crumbly. Add yogurt (and herbs) and mix only until dough can be gathered into a ball. Place on lightly floured surface and pat into ½” thickness. Cut with a round cutter, or any type of cutter that you fancy (yogurt-men biscuits and shamrocks have graced my oven). Or make into a jelly roll as mentioned above for cinnamon rolls. Bake for 12-15 minutes.