Ben Starr

The Ultimate Food Geek

Category: Breakfast

  • Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

    I have loved blueberries since I was an infant.  My mom has pictures of me with a permanent purple stain down my chin, chest, and into my belly button.  My infant tongue wasn’t yet refined enough to sound out the name of this little blue miracle correctly…all I could manage was “bloo blellies.”  (Which is…

  • Dandelion “Honey”

    Either you love dandelions, or you hate them.  If you hate them, it’s probably because you spend so much time trying to rid your lawn of them.  If you love them, it’s because the big, soft, bright yellow blossoms and supremely blow-able puff balls bring you back to childhood.  Or perhaps you’re one of the…

  • Multi Grain Sweet Potato Muffins

    We don’t eat enough sweet potatoes in this country.  And when we do, they usually are slathered in sugar, butter, marshmallows, and maple syrup.  (*gag*)  What a horrific way to ruin a healthy, delicious food!  (No offense to those of you who adore sweet potato casserole.) I had a few sweet potatoes left over in…

  • 1-Hour Hazelnut Cranberry Sticky/Sweet Rolls

    When I’m making a very special breakfast, I often choose my Overnight Cinnamon Rolls because they get rave reviews.  Any kind of yeast-risen roll for breakfast is a winner…but sometimes you can’t prep the night before, or don’t have HOURS to prep that morning.  So I’ve been developing a series of 1-Hour yeast risen recipes…

  • Buttermilk Cardamom Coffee Cake

    We’ve lost the coffee cake, somehow.  I rarely see it on menus at breakfast restaurants.  And it’s such a yummy and easy thing to make.  I’ll make an attempt at revitalizing interest in coffee cake by coming up with some new, inventive flavors, and this is my first…featuring my favorite spice, cardamom.  So many fans…

  • Cheesecake-Stuffed Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

    Just when you thought breakfast couldn’t be more decadent, I bring you my legendary Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins…but stuffed with cheesecake.  Yes…cheesecake.  It sounds complex, but it couldn’t be more simple.  These muffins come together in about 15-20 minutes and bake in another 20.  Less than an hour of work, and you’ve got what many people…

  • Pumpkin Cardamom Souffle

    Souffles are one of those things you see on cooking shows and MAYBE you’ll make one or two throughout the course of your life.  I’m not sure why this is the case.  Perhaps it’s because there is an old myth in the kitchen that souffles are temperamental and impossible to get right.  This is malarkey! …

  • Scotch Eggs

    I had never heard of a Scotch Egg until I watched MasterChef season 1 and Ramsay was bemoaning the lack of a Scotch Egg appearing in an egg challenge.  When I heard what it was…a boiled egg wrapped in sausage, breaded, and deep fried…I was bound and determined to offer up a Scotch Egg to…

  • Guava and Cream Cheese-Stuffed Pumpkin Muffins

    It finally got cool in Dallas, and even though it’s still mid September, pumpkin season is calling me.  One of my local markets finally started stocking sugar pumpkins (I didn’t get any planted in time in my garden this year), so I stocked up yesterday and made some puree.  And since I have a friend…

  • Oatmeal Sweet Potato Pancakes

    This morning Christian said he wanted some hearty pancakes for breakfast, so I decided I’d make oatmeal pancakes.  But I had two ageing sweet potatoes sitting on the counter above my sink, and thought…why not make oatmeal sweet potato pancakes?  They turned out superb.  Sweet potatoes are so healthy for you.  And as an added…