'It burns!': Watch an artichoke dip go horribly awry on live TV

Ah, the holidays—a time when you not only have to brave the mall, but are also expected to make homemade treats to prove you care.

So, in the spirit of things, Global Television's Calgary morning show had its anchors bring in their favourite family recipes to test on live television. Not stressful at all! Traffic reporter Leslie Horton wanted to bring in store-bought fruitcake. Instead, she made what was apparently the most foul-tasting homemade artichoke dip on the planet.

It's bad from the beginning: "It's not supposed to look like that," she says, holding up the congealed, beige form baked into a glass dish. It slides downward as she tips it for the camera to see. A pink plastic spoon sits on top.

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"I didn't want to make it. I've been busy...but my family was all freakin' out," she says in the clip, which has now been viewed more than 2.7 million times on Youtube. They told her "Everyone's making something, so you have to make something!"

The dip's stench is already stinging her colleagues' eyes. "How does it smell?" she asks. "I thought it smelled like a barn!" one replies. Another spits out his dip-laden cracker. "How does it taste, Amber?" Horton asks. "It burns!" she replies, her eyes squeezed shut.

Horton agrees this was not her best work. There is no vinegar in the recipe, she insists, despite the overwhelming taste. But she soon cops to a little experimentation, throwing orange into the mix and a little celery salt.

Luckily, the holidays are also about second chances and new beginnings. Horton, we've found the best artichoke dip recipe for you.

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