There’s nothing quite like a warm slice of banana bread with a nice smear of butter.  It’s as if the heavens looked down on the creation of butter and said, “Now we must create a perfect platform upon which to show off this butter.”  When made properly, banana bread is moist and loaded with flavor.  It’s pretty much a big, bread-shaped muffin.  Best of all, banana bread is so easy to make… it’s “nuts!”   Just kidding.  It’s totally “bananas!”

In this article, I’ll show you my favorite banana bread recipe and share a couple of tips for getting great tasting bread every time.  I’m also excited to present my latest cooking video.  Last week, I watched the movie The Artist.  It was cute.  But you know what it was missing?  A good banana bread recipe.  Here’s a few scenes that would have made it perfect:

Video:  “Mr Breakfast Makes Banana Bread”

How To Make Excellent Banana Bread

For the printable version of this recipe, click here.

The only real trick to making good banana bread is using really ripe bananas.  Just when you think it might be time to toss a banana in the compost bin, that’s the perfect time to use it for banana bread.  The reason is that bananas develop more sugar as they ripen.  The banana flavor becomes more pronounced as the fruit ages.

I’ve seen some recipes that try to extract more flavor from bananas by microwaving them and cooking down the liquid produced to a syrup.  That’s fun if you want to try it, but it’s unnecessary.  Ask anybody’s grandma… the old way is the best way.  Very ripe bananas yield very good banana bread.

When I make banana bread, I use two mixing bowls: one to mash the bananas and the other one for mixing.  Cream 1 softened stick of butter and 1 cup of sugar together until fluffy.  Stir in 3 medium mashed bananas and 2 beaten eggs. Then, slowly stir in 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and a couple pinches of salt.  If you like, you can add a teaspoon of vanilla or a few dashes of cinnamon at this point.

Lastly, fold in 1/3 cup chopped walnuts and then pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees and that’s all there is to it.  This recipe makes one 9 1/2″ X 5″ loaf or three 6″ X 3 1/2″ inch mini loaves.

The only note of caution with this recipe is to watch the cooking time.  40 to 50 minutes is a decent approximation, but every loaf of banana bread has its own distinct cooking time.  The ripeness and size of your “medium” bananas both impact the cooking time.  I’ve had one loaf take exactly 40 minutes and another with the same recipe take nearly an hour.  Both turned out great despite the significant difference in cooking time.  Just be sure to test that the bread is done with a toothpick or a skewer.  If you stick it in the middle of the loaf and it comes out clean, the bread is done.

I hope you have as much fun and success with this recipe as I’ve had.

This post is based on the following recipe on MrBreakfast.com:

Easy Banana Bread

If you’re not that bananas about banana bread, but you’re totally pumped about pumpkin bread, check out this Pumpkin Bread Recipe.

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, many people are looking forward to healthy (size-wise) portions of corned beef, cabbage, Irish whiskey and Guinness.  While I plan to partake in all those great things, I’m most excited about St. Patrick’s Day breakfast.  Every year, I try to find new ways to incorporate green into my omelets, pancakes, waffles and other morning dishes.

One of my St. Patrick’s Day breakfast dishes was so green that it was literally unbelievable.  I submitted a photo of my Green Egg Scramble to the popular food picture site FoodGawker and they wouldn’t accept it.  They said it “looked overproccessed.”  I can see how they thought that, but seriously, it was food coloring and green peppers – not Photoshop.

Today’s featured St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast recipe is festive but not quite as over-the-top.  It’s a basic breakfast casserole with accents of distinct green from spinach, green pepper, green onion, chopped jalapeno and a garnish of parsley.

You can get the original, printable recipe here, but please note in the comments how I included a few extra ingredients to add in more green.

The ingredients for this Green Egg Casserole are eggs, pieces of bread, milk, Monterey jack cheese, spinach, green pepper, green onion, jalapeno and parsley.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs and milk together.   Add all of the remaining ingredients (except the cheese and parsley) and mix well.  You don’t have to use multiple bowls like I did.

Pour the ingredients from the mixing bowl into a lightly greased casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Then, sprinkle cheese over the top and bake 20 minutes more until the egg is completely set.  You can test for doneness with a toothpick.  Insert it into the center of the casserole.  If it comes out clean, the casserole is done.

To serve, cut into squares and garnish with lovely green chopped parsley.

To make this breakfast even more appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day, do what I did.  Serve it with Potatoes O’Brien and coffee with a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream.  If you happen to have little plastic clover sticks that say “Happy St. Patrick’s Day”, awesome!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

This post is a companion piece to the following recipe on MrBreakfast.com:

Green Egg Casserole

Other St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast Ideas:

Green Eggs & Ham

Green Egg Scramble

Today, we’re eating waffles with Barack Obama, flipping pancakes with George W. Bush and picking out donuts with Bill Clinton. It’s a trip though U.S. history as we examine American Presidents and their favorite breakfast foods.

In part one, you’ll find images of recent Presidents ordering, making and eating breakfast.  Part two is a study of our Presidents and what they ate for breakfast, going all the way back to George Washington.

The Presidential Breakfast Image Library

Candidate Barack Obama with a box of Dunkin’ Donuts and a jug of coffee. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

A montage of President Barack Obama enjoying breakfast.

George W. Bush flipping pancakes on the campaign trail in 1999.

President George W. Bush showing off a pancake as he eats with the troops.

President Bill Clinton selects a doughnut.

Bill Clinton, then governor of Arkansas, having breakfast with ABC’s Charlie Gibson in 1992. (Credit: ABC News)

George H.W. Bush (candidate for President in 1988) having coffee at the Three Brothers Coffee Shop in Homewood, Illinois with Arnold Schwarzenegger (AP Photo/Scott Applewhite via thejournal.ie).  It’s been reported that H.W. was a great lover of hot sauce which he would use to spice up eggs.

Ronald Reagan having a breakfast of Broiled Grapefruit (or possible a small melon) in 1980 with Vice President George H.W. Bush and Detroit Mayor Coleman Young. (AP Photo/Walter Zeboski via thejournal.ie)

Ronald Reagan having breakfast with his family in 1959.  At that time, Reagan was an actor and the host of TV’s General Electric Theater. (Credit: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library via architecturaldigest.com)

President Jimmy Carter having breakfast in The White House with Senator Henry M. Jackson and Senator Sam Nunn in 1977. (Credit:  University of Washington Libraries)

President Gerald Ford toasting English muffins in 1974. (Credit: National Archives, Gerald R. Ford Library)

Congressman Gerald Ford and family having breakfast in the kitchen of their Alexandria, VA home before he became Nixon’s Vice President. (Credit: Clover College Park Civic Association)

Richard Nixon as a Vice Presidential Candidate reflected in a mirror after eating a bowl of cereal. (Credit: Life Magazine via art.com)

President Richard M. Nixon enjoying breakfast with his children and his wife Pat.

President John F. Kennedy having an adorable breakfast with his daughter Caroline in the White House in 1961. (Credit: Charles Del Vecchio, Washington Post)

Dwight D. Eisenhower having breakfast on a plane with auto executive Paul G. Hoffman circa 1959. Notice the small boxes of Wheaties cereal. (Credit: allposters.com)

Dwight D. Eisenhower eating what appears to be a box of donuts in 1954. (Credit: Sealtest Southern Diary)

President Harry S. Truman having breakfast with the troops.

Five years after his Presidency, Harry S. Truman enjoys his pipe at an Ole’ Missouri Country Ham Breakfast at New York’s Waldorf Astoria in 1958. (Credit: hosttotheworld.com)

American Presidents & What They Ate For Breakfast

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)

President Reagan usually had breakfast everyday at 7:45AM.  His most common breakfast was bran cereal with skim milk, fresh fruit and decaf coffee.  Once a week, he’d have eggs – either scrambled, poached or soft-boiled.  Whole wheat toast and homemade muffins were also common at the Reagan breakfast table.  For special occasions, Reagan would indulge in an old family favorite called Monkey Bread. ¹

Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)

President Carter would typically wake up around 5:30AM.  He’d start the day with coffee and fresh-squeezed juice.  A couple of hours later, he would have a light breakfast – usually fruit and buttered toast.  Occasionally, eggs or cereal would take the place of his regular fare.  Sunday breakfasts tended to be more indulgent.  Some of his favorite heavier breakfasts included country-style ham with red-eye gravy, scrambled eggs, corn bread, hot fried apples and grits.  Carter loved grits.  They were included on The White House breakfast menu on his first day in office.  He also named his dog Grits. ¹

Gerald Ford (1974-1977)

Like Carter, President Ford ate light on weekdays and went bigger on the weekends.  His typical weekday breakfast included toasted English muffins with jam, fresh fruit and fresh juice.  On Sundays, Ford loved a good waffle which he would top with strawberries and sour cream.  German apple pancakes also topped his list of heavier breakfast fare. ¹

Richard Nixon (1969-1974)

President Nixon’s typical breakfast was quite light – usually yogurt, cottage cheese and fresh fruit.  The most unusually thing about a Nixon breakfast was that he liked to top his cottage cheese with ketchup.  That alone might be an impeachable offense.  It’s been reported that his final Presidential breakfast before he left office was cottage cheese and pineapple. ²

Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

President Johnson’s most common breakfast was chipped beef covered in cream with a cup of hot tea.  He was also known to enjoy a good steak for breakfast, as well as for lunch and dinner. ¹

John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)

President Kennedy was known to start his day with 2 poached eggs on toast, crisp bacon, additional toast with jam or marmalade, milk, orange juice and coffee.  He was also prone to enjoy corn muffins.  Kennedy took his coffee with cream and sugar. ³

Harry Truman (1945-1953)

President Truman had a regular breakfast menu that he rarely deviated from:  hot cereal during cold months and cold cereal during warm months.  He would augment his cereal with wheat toast, milk and orange juice (sometimes grapefruit or tomato juice). ⁵

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945)

FDR was known to take breakfast on a tray in his bedroom.  His favorite items were creamed chipped beef, corned beef hash with poached eggs and fried corn-meal mush with maple syrup.  He was particular about his coffee.  It was a dark French roast made in The White House kitchen from green coffee beans.  Roosevelt was also fond of kippered herring and salt mackerel for breakfast. ⁴

Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)

President Coolidge favored a hot cereal made with 3 parts whole wheat and 1 part whole rye.  The grains were not ground before they were cooked, so you can imagine it was a hearty concoction. ⁵

Warren G. Harding (1921-1923)

President Harding’s favorite breakfast items were hot cereal, scrambled eggs, bacon, wheat cakes with maple syrup, corn muffins, grapefruit and toast.  He was also a very big coffee-drinker. ⁵

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

It’s often been reported that President Wilson regularly had a Rocky-style breakfast of two raw eggs in grape juice.  This conflicts with Wilson’s own words, “I am very fond of country hams, peach cobblers, butter and buttermilk, fresh eggs, hot biscuits, homemade ice cream and plain white cake.”  There are records that Wilson’s first breakfast in The White House consisted of oranges, cereal with cream, bacon, eggs, steak, hot cakes, toast, tea and coffee. ^{5, 6}

William Howard Taft (1909-1913)

President Taft was a steak and potatoes kind of guy.  For breakfast, his steak would usually be broiled and his potatoes were usually presented in the form of hash browns.  We know that on one particular trip to Savannah, GA, Taft had a breakfast consisting of grapefruit, potted partridge, grilled partridge, broiled venison, waffles with maple syrup, hominy, hot rolls and bacon. ⁵

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

President Teddy Roosevelt was pretty set in his ways when it came to breakfast.  He’d have hard-boiled eggs and homemade rolls.  He insisted that the eggs be cooked until solid throughout.  Medium or soft-boiled eggs wouldn’t cut it.  As for the rolls, they had to be fresh and there had to be a lot of them.  In the rare times that he’d deviate from his routine, it was usually in favor of hominy with butter and salt. ^{7, 8}

William McKinley (1897-1901)

President McKinley’s morning menu consisted of eggs, steak or chops, hot breads, potatoes, fruit and coffee. He would occasionally throw fish into that mix. ⁵

Grover Cleveland (1893-1897)

A journalist named Frank Carpenter observed President Cleveland’s morning routine and described it like this: “At eight, he is ready for breakfast. This is not a large meal… oatmeal, beefsteak, eggs or a chop, with coffee to wash it down.” ⁵

Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885)

President Arthur was known to eat his breakfast as he dressed. It was usually a very simple meal consisting of only coffee and a roll. ⁵

Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)

President Hayes had coffee for breakfast and tea for lunch.  He was fond of cornmeal batter-cakes. ⁵

Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)

President Grant’s favorite breakfast items included steak, broiled Spanish mackerel, bacon, fried apples, flannel cakes, buckwheat cakes and strong black coffee. ⁵

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

President Lincoln had simple tastes when it came to food.  It was said that his favorite beverage was water.  When it came to breakfast, The Great Emancipator preferred a single egg, a piece of toast and a good hot cup of coffee.  Many mornings, he would be satisfied with only an apple. ^{5, 9}

James Madison (1809-1817)

According to the book James Madison: A Biography by Ralph Ketcham, President Madison “breakfasted at nine o’clock on ham or salt fish, herring… coffee or tea, and slices of toast or untoasted bread spread with butter.”

Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)

In her book The First Forty Years of Washington Society, Margaret Bayard Smith made the following account of having breakfast with President Jefferson, “Our breakfast table was as large as our dinner table… we had tea, coffee, excellent muffins, hot wheat and corn bread, cold ham and butter.”

George Washington (1789-1797)

We get an idea of what President Washington had for breakfast from Henry Wansey, an English manufacturer who had breakfast with Washington on June 8, 1794.  He wrote, “Breakfast seems to have been the only meal in the Presidential house that was relaxed. Mrs. Washington made tea and coffee for them; on the table there were two small plates of sliced tongues and dry toast, bread and butter, but no broiled fish, as is generally the custom.” Washington was also said to be fond of hoecakes, cornmeal pancakes that were cooked on a fire-heated hoe. ^{5, 9}

Sources Used For This Article:

¹ The White House Family Cookbook, Henry Haller, 1987

² “How Nixon Lives, What He Likes,” Marie Smith, Washington Post, January 17, 1969

³ The White House Chef Cookbook, Rene Verdon, 1967

⁴ The Presidential Cookbook: Feeding the Roosevelts and Their Guests, Henrietta Nesbitt, 1951

⁵ The Presidents’ Cookbook, Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks, 1968

⁶ First Wilson Family Breakfast at the White House – The Economy Administration Cook Book, Susie Root, 1913

⁷ The President’s Table: Two Hundred Years of Dining and Diplomacy, Barry H. Landau, 2007

⁸ “What the President Eats: Mr. Roosevelt Corrects and Epicurean Syndicate Story,” Washington Post, June 26, 1906

⁹ “Lincoln’s Favorite Foods” and “Washington’s Favorite Foods”, TheQuestingFeast.com

Happy Presidents Day!

Elvis Presley having a breakfast of eggs, bacon and French fries in 1956 at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA. (Photo: Alfred Wertheimer)

Another image from Elvis’ 1956 breakfast in Richmond, VA. (Photo: Alfred Wertheime)

Elvis having breakfast with Colonel Parker at Fort Chaffee in March of 1958.

Three shots of The Beatles eating breakfast together.

Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison sharing the breakfast experience.

John Lennon eating breakfast in Tokyo in 1966 (Photo: Robert Whitaker) and four images of Lennon having breakfast in Amsterdam during his famous bed-in for peace in March 1969 (Photos: Nico Koster).

George Harrison eating a donut, spreading jam on toast and sharing coffee with a minor.

Ringo Starr having breakfast in the hospital in 1964.

Mick Jagger enjoying a special meal with Andy Warhol and William S. Burroughs. (Photo: Marcia Resnick)

Mick Jagger chowing down in 1965 and sometime in the mid 70’s.

Keith Richards making breakfast in 1975 at Andy Warhol’s house in Montauk, NY (Photo: Ken Regan) and Richards eating pancakes with Mick Taylor in Manchester in 1973 (Photo: Laurens Van Houten).

How does a sleepy Bob Dylan perk up in the morning? The answer, my friend, is… coffee.

Bob Dylan in a diner with Johnny Cash. Dylan’s coffee suggests they may be about to have breakfast.

Jim Morrison (The Doors) having Huevos Rancheros and beer for breakfast at the Lucky U restaurant in West Los Angeles in 1967. (Photo: Bobby Klein)

Elton John enjoying the morning with orange juice, a big pastry, USA Today and two beautiful dogs. (Photo: Deborah Anderson)

David Bowie eating a donut early in his career and having a full English breakfast (I think) on a train with Mick Ronson in 1973.

Pete Townshend and Keith Moon of The Who enjoying what appears to be pancakes or waffles. (UPDATE: It’s been pointed out in readers’ comments that the guy on the left is actually Phil Daniels, an actor from the film Quadrophenia.)

“Mama” Cass Elliot and Michelle Phillips of The Mama’s And The Papa’s having some in-flight breakfast and a few laughs.

Alice Cooper having breakfast with Groucho Marx. (Photo: Neal Preston)

Bruce Springsteen at a McDonald’s in New Orleans in 1975. Could it be that he’s eating an Egg McMuffin? Probably not, but one can dream. (Photo: Barbara Pyle)

Art Garfunkel (of Simon & Garfunkel) is shown having breakfast on the cover of his 1979 solo album Fate For Breakfast. Fate? Looks like a croissant and a sunny-side-up egg to me. (Photo: Edie Baskin)

Ozzy Osbourne and Slash (Guns N’ Roses) eating together at the Dorchester Hotel London in 2008. (Photos: Dave Hogan/Getty Images Europe)

In all likelihood, Freddy Mercury of Queen is just eating a biscuit (British cookie) in this picture. I really like Queen and wanted to include a picture. So let’s assume that it’s a Quaker Breakfast Cookie or a BelVita breakfast biscuit. This photo was taken at the Ealing College of Art around 1969.

“The Corn Flakes Series” by photographer Bobby Grossman. Here we see David Byrne of the Talking Heads, Debbie Harry of Blondie and David Johansen of The New York Dolls.

Madonna seductively peeling fruit in a low-cut top perfect for a relaxed morning breakfast or an afternoon brunch with friends. (Photo: Steven Klein)

Michael Jackson gives a thumb-up to breakfast circa 1984.

Rod Stewart enjoying breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien in Studio City, Los Angeles (more) and having coffee and croissants with his family on the French Riviera (more).

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith enjoying breakfast at West Hollywood’s Urth Cafe in January 2012. Dude looks like he’s hungry. (more)

Bonus: Jennifer Lopez being fed a donut (more), Justin Bieber eating bacon and Rihanna having fruit.

Monkey Bread is a sort of variation on a cinnamon roll recipe that’s very easy to make. Basically, you chop up some biscuit dough, coat it with cinnamon and sugar and then top it with melted butter and brown sugar.  Bake, invert and presto… Monkey Bread.

You can eat it like an elegant gentleman with a knife and fork.  But it’s best to eat it with your fingers like a monkey.  According to Wikipedia, that’s how the bread got its name.

For the complete recipe, you can check out the original Monkey Bread Recipe page on MrBreakfast.com.  Or check out the Monkey Bread Recipe Cheat Sheet above.  Or better yet, check out our Monkey Bread Recipe Tutorial Video below.

I made the bold choice to have a monkey named Randy teach the tutorial.  As for what the pig is doing there… you’ll see.

_{Video: How To Make Monkey Bread w/ Randy The Monkey}

As a breakfast expert, I recommend that you only have this for breakfast on special occasions.  It’s extremely sweet (but ohhhh… so tasty).  I hope you give it a try.  Let me know how it goes.

Be afraid, be very afraid… of starting your day with too much energy. I’ve created a monster… a healthy beast made of oatmeal, apples and bananas. My, what big teeth he has.  The better to eat you with! Or more correctly stated, the better for you to eat because his choppers are made of delicious slivered almonds.  In this article, I’ll show you two ways to make apple teeth – one with almonds and the other with peanut butter and marshmallows.

Making apple teeth with almonds is super easy. Cut an apple into quarters and then take a slice out of each quarter.  Next, just poke in almond slivers for the teeth.  Done. As you’ll notice, I also tried using toasted almonds.  That turned out great because they look like dirty teeth.

I played around with using a cherry to act as a tongue.   It didn’t work how I wanted.  You can see above that it made the teeth look like eyes.  Too weird.  And this is coming from a guy who just spent hours making teeth out of food.

The second way to make apple teeth isn’t quite as impressive looking, but it may be a little more delicious.  For these, you cut an apple into wedges.  Spread peanut butter on one side of each wedge.  Then, arrange mini-marshmallows as teeth.  Sandwich the wedges together and you’re ready to stick your teeth into your teeth.

As with the almonds, it’d probably be fun to toast the mini-marshmallows.  I’ll leave it to you to find a miniature campfire and a tiny stick.

So, that’s all there is to it.  Put the teeth in a bowl of oatmeal with some banana eyes to make your own breakfast monster.  You can do the same thing on a pancake or a waffle.

This can be a fun Halloween project for kids.  They’ll love helping to make apple teeth and they’ll love eating them. If you can make apples seem cool in this season of candy, that’s quite an accomplishment.

Happy Halloween breakfast lovers!

I have to go now.  There’s a Goblin in my Granola!  Another story for another time.

Additional Resources:

Oatmeal, Pancake And Waffle Recipes

More Halloween Breakfast Recipes

In the U.S., polenta still has sort of a fancy connotation.  It sound like (and often is) something you’d order at an elegant restaurant for dinner in your tuxedo after going to the theater (th-E-Ate-er).  Don’t let the name fool you.  Polenta is basically grits.  It’s cornmeal that’s cooked slowly until it has a smooth and creamy texture.

The Italians figured it out, particularly in Northern Italy.  They have polenta for breakfast all the time.  “Ay Guido… thats-a some good-a polenta, Mamma Mia!” they might say, if I may be free to stereotype.  They have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner because it’s so versatile.

I started playing with polenta for breakfast a couple years ago and loved it because it is so versatile.  Anything you can do with oatmeal or other hot cereals, you can do with polenta.  That usually means a sweeter dish (ex. Honey Almond Polenta). But because it’s so similar to (some might say the same as) grits, you can also go savory (ex. Baked Eggs with Polenta & Bacon).

We’re getting very close to Halloween so I thought it’d be fun to do a Pumpkin Polenta and try to jam all the wonderful flavors of a pumpkin pie into a hot breakfast cereal.  I’m super glad to report that the first attempt at the recipe was a big success.  It would have been a real Halloween horror story if I had to throw out a bad batch and start again… and again… as is sometimes the reality.

Thanks to pumpkin puree and some typical holiday spices, the polenta really took on the flavors of pumpkin pie.  The texture of the polenta seemed perfect for the pumpkin application.  The mouthfeel of pumpkin pie is smooth yet hearty, very similar to the polenta.  Of course, I bumped up the similarity with a dab of whipped cream at the end.  That step isn’t necessary, but I recommend it.

For the ingredients list and the printable recipe, click here.

Basically, all you do is bring milk and pinch of salt to gentle boil.  Slowly add the polenta, stirring constantly to get rid of any lumps.  Reduce the heat to low and give it a stir every 20 seconds.  After about 5 minutes, there you have it… polenta.

Much like oatmeal, the polenta is now a canvass to do anything with that you’d like.  For this recipe, I stirred in some pumpkin puree, maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.  How easy is that!

I also threw some raisins into the mix.  That’s something I’ll probably skip next time.  While they added a certain extra holiday appeal, they seemed to interrupt the smooth texture of the cereal.  Therefore, I made that ingredient optional in the final recipe.

For the finishing touch, I topped each serving with a few chopped pecans, a drizzle of maple syrup and a dab of whipped cream.

As the future Mrs. Breakfast said, “Mmmm… this is really good.  I’d skip the raisins next time… but mmmmm.”

This post is a companion piece to the following recipe on MrBreakfast.com:

Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Polenta

“Popular powerful pretty people profusely prefer pleasingly pleasant Pumpkin Pie Polenta.”  – Mr Breakfast, 2017

#10 – Spooky Marshmallow Froot Loops

From Kellogg’s in 2002, this limited edition version of Froot Loops featured marshmallows in the shapes of ghosts, skeleton masks and bones. The cereal’s mascot, Toucan Sam, must love Halloween. He also appeared on Spooky Froot Loops (without marshmallows in 1996), Frightening Froot Loops (2000), Freaky Froot Loops (2003) and Haunted Froot Loops Manor (2004).

#9 – Kooky Cocoa Rice Krispies

During the Halloween season of 2003, Cocoa Rice Krispies were infused with marshmallow ghosts and skulls to become Kooky Cocoa Rice Krispies. The prior year, Kellogg’s gave us a similar cereal in the form of Creepy Coco Rice Krispies. These two cereals were followed up with Haunted Cocoa Rice Krispies Manor in 2004.

#8 – Candy Corn Pops

From 2001, this limited edition cereal from Kellogg’s was described as a “crunchy sweetened corn cereal with a special candy corn flavor.” The character on the front of the box was presumably a mad scientist.

#7 – Halloween Crunch

Cap’n Crunch has gotten into the Halloween spirit every year since 2007 with Quaker’s Halloween Crunch. Boxes have featured the Cap’n dressed as a mummy and a werewolf. The most recent box for 2012, shows Crunch’s face etched into a Jack O’lantern.

#6 – Ghostbusters Cereal

This Ralston brand cereal from 1985 is probably best described using its TV commercial jingle… to the theme from the movie Ghostbusters… everybody sing….

“There’s a new cereal in the neighborhood
with O’s and ghosts
(Tastes real good… Ghostbusters!)
Marshmallow ghosts… fruit flavored O’s
Ghostbusters taste great with milk and juice and toast
(a nutritious breakfast with the ghost… Ghostbusters!)
What you gonna crunch? (Ghostbusters!)”

#5 – Yummy Mummy

The last of the monster cereals introduced by General Mills is the first to make our Halloween countdown. This fruit flavored cereal with marshmallows came out in 1998. Its mascot was a colorful, unraveling mummy also called Yummy Mummy.

#4 – Fruit Brute

Introduced in 1974 (the same year as Boo Berry), this monster cereal from General Mills was described on the box as a “fruit flavor frosted cereal (with) marshmallow bits.” A television ad said that it had “the howling good taste of fruit.” A fun piece of trivia: The cereal made cameo appearances in two Quentin Tarantino films, Reservoir Dogs in 1992 and Pulp Fiction in 1994.

#3 – Franken Berry

Of the five monster cereals created by General Mills, only three are still being produced. They can be purchased all year online, but many store only carry them during the Halloween season. It’s these three cereals that round out our Halloween countdown. At number three is Franken Berry (introduced in 1971), the “sweet strawberry flavor cereal (with) marshmallow bits” featuring the cuddly, pink, Frankenstein-esque monster. In television commercials, the character Franken Berry was afraid of…

#2 – Boo Berry

When this cereal came out in 1973, a TV ad showed Franken Berry and his chocolate friend (more on him in a moment) being deathly afraid of a little blue ghost in the porkpie hat. The little guy was knocking on their castle door to introduce his new blueberry flavored cereal. “My name is Boo,” said the new mascot. To which, the pink and brown monsters seemed to hear only “boo” causing them to jump in terror.

#1 – Count Chocula

Completing the total domination of General Mills’ monster cereals in our Halloween countdown is Count Chocula. Introduced the same year as Franken Berry (1971), this cereal was described on the box as “a chocolate flavor frosted cereal (with) marshmallow bits.” Of the three monsters in our top three, only Count Chocula had a memorable slogan: “I vant to eat your cereal!” The character Count Chocula is a vampire who prefers chocolate to blood.

I think the awesome people who voted got it right. Count Chocula happens to be my favorite of the cereals mentioned. If the list was based on my personal favorites, I may have bumped Cap’n Crunch’s Halloween Crunch up to the third spot.

Cereal votes at The Cereal Project are cumulative. The results here were the favorites as of October 2012.

To see even more Halloween-themed breakfast cereals, visit The Cereal Project at MrBreakfast.com. There you’ll find pages dedicated to Monster Pops, Halloween Brew Waffle Crisp, Halloween Rice Krispies, Post Ghoasties, Jack ‘O’ Lantern Apple Jacks and many more.

In all good conscience, I can’t recommend actual candy corn for breakfast.  Instead, I’ve put together a collection of breakfast dishes that will hopefully bring the classic candy to mind.

The good news is that the “candy corn” you find here is a bit more healthy than actual candy corn which is made of sugar, corn syrup, confectioners wax, food coloring and binding agents.  You’ll find no confectioners wax in these breakfasts.  Sugar and food coloring?  Perhaps.

I’ve tested most of these recipes so I can attest that they also taste better than candy corn.

Candy Corn Waffles

Candy Corn Waffles are pretty fun to make.  You can use any waffle batter.  You just divide it, color it and pour the batter on your waffle iron.  Get more detailed instructions here.  The whole waffle looks kind of funky, but when you separate it into quarters, you’ll see that each segment resembles candy corn.  Take note that you could use the same basic technique to make Candy Corn Pancakes.

If you don’t want to mess with food coloring, an alternative way to make Candy Corn Waffles is to arrange toppings on each waffle piece.  For the waffles below, I dipped the end in whipped cream then spread some Pumpkin Maple Topping over the middle.  The yellow is just the natural waffle color.  For the orange, you could also use orange marmalade.

Candy Corn Fruit Parfaits

This one isn’t just fun, it’s genuinely healthy.  I used pineapple pieces, mandarin oranges and vanilla yogurt to make my layers.  For other fruit suggestions, check out the recipe for Candy Corn Fruit Parfaits.

Candy Corn Pebbles

If you don’t feel like cooking, Post Cereals has a solution.  This year, they came out with Candy Corn Pebbles.  I’m happy to report that it tastes great.  The colorful pieces have notes of caramel. The flavor might not remind you of candy corn exactly, but that’s probably for the best.   For more about this cereal, check out it’s profile page in the Cereal Project at MrBreakfast.com.

Elsewhere On The Web

Sandra Denneler at SheKnows.com created this amazing Candy Corn Crepe.  The concept is the same as our waffles, except the crepe is folded into quarters instead of being separated into quarters.  Take a look at her instructions right here.  Instead of crepe mix, consider using a great made-from-scratch crepe batter.

Over at the blog Boulder Locavore, they’re serving up a Tropical Candy Corn Smoothie with pineapple, papaya and coconut milk.  Beautiful!  Their entire recipe section is filled with great ideas and gorgeous photos.

Every year,  National Candy Corn Day occurs on the day before Halloween.

For more Halloween recipes and fun, check out MrBreakfast.com’s Halloween Breakfast Headquarters.

One of America’s most loved baked goods is also one of the easiest to make.  Today, we’re focusing on a basic, reliable blueberry muffin recipe.  It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to bake.  That’s right.  We’re talking about oven-fresh blueberry muffins in a half hour.

After we examine the basic recipe, I have a few tips and simple adjustments to make this good thing even better.

As shown in the recipe card above, the ingredients are:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter – melted
• 1 cup blueberries

The trick to making these muffins tender is mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately.  When you combine the two mixtures, use a gentle touch and mix only until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Over-mixing will make the muffins slightly tough.  (Although in truth, you can beat the bejesus out the batter and still get decent muffins.)

The same gentle technique goes for folding in the blueberries.  Take your time and mix just until the berries are evenly distributed in the batter.

For dolloping batter in muffin cups, I swear by my trusty ice cream scoop.  It fills the muffin cups almost exactly 3/4 full, which is ideal for this recipe.

Always test for doneness.  After 20 minutes, insert a toothpick in the center of a muffin.  If it comes out clean (no batter), the muffins are done.  If they need a few more minutes, consider covering the tops of the muffins with foil so they don’t get overly browned.

Now that you know the most rudimentary, reliable recipe, here’s few ways to make it even better:

Use vanilla.  I add vanilla to almost every baked good I make.  Even if you don’t notice it directly, it adds a nuance that just makes everything a step better.  One teaspoon of vanilla works great for this recipe.  Just mix it in with the wet ingredients.

Try cake flour.  Mixing a little cake flour in with all-purpose flour gives muffins a somewhat softer texture.  I find that muffins with cake flour are even better the day after they’re made.  The muffins condense more and feel more indulgent.  For this recipe, try replacing 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour with cake flour.

Sift.  Whether you use straight-up all-purpose flour or the combo suggested above, sifting (or aerating) the flour can make a big difference.  The bit of air that gets mixed into the flour helps the muffins rise to form a beautiful dome.  I’ve kitchen tested this several times and muffins made with sifted flour always have a better shape.  That said, these muffins could turn out flat as pancakes and they’d still be delicious.

Try yogurt.  Before you measure out your cup of milk, consider trying this… empty out one of those single serve yogurt cups into your measuring cup.  Top it off with milk until it reaches the 1 cup mark.  Using a little yogurt as part of the milk component ensures that your muffins will be extremely moist.  A ratio of 1/2 milk to 1/2 yogurt is an equation for success.  I’ll often use vanilla-flavored yogurt (with additional vanilla extract).  Plain yogurt works fine, but do yourself a favor and have fun with it.  For extreme blueberry muffins, use blueberry-flavored yogurt.

Try sour cream.  Treat sour cream the same way that you’d use yogurt above.  It adds a richness to the muffins (due to its fat content) and a slight tanginess that many people enjoy.

Get zesty.  In the world of fruit, blueberries and citrus are terrific buddies.  Adding a mere 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest or orange zest to the batter dramatically changes the flavor profile of the muffin, making it – for lack of a better word – zesty!  The blueberries taste more lively because they have another fruity flavor to play with.  I like to sprinkle the zest over the dry ingredients right before I mix in the egg and milk mixture.

That concludes our blueberry muffin lesson for the day.  Let me know what you think.  If you have any tips or tricks of your own that you’d like to share, please do so in the comments section below.

May your berries be sweet and your muffins always moist!