Right off, I have to tell you this is my very favorite muffin. Given a choice of big banana, lemon poppyseed, apple spice, blueberry, morning glory, or lemon drizzle yogurt - or this bran - I'll pick it every time. It's just the right consistency, just the right amount of juicy sweetness from the raisins, the tang of buttermilk, the hint of cinnamon. The only problem I have with this muffin is its refusal to shine in a photograph. I must have tried to photograph these ten times, and it always comes out the same - brown. The raisins don't show, the texture looks ordinary. This is my UPS muffin - brown, brown, brown. So when you make them, give them a little encouragement and affection for being humble, brown, and incredibly tasty.
To make:
Preheat oven to 350 F
Grease two Texas size muffin tins ( this recipe makes about 12-13 muffins)
3 cups bran
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup canola oil
2 1/2 cups King Arthur all purpose flour
2 1/2 t. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
3 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups raisins, dark or golden
In a small bowl, mix the oil, boiling water, raisins, and one cup of the bran. Let sit.
In mixer bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar. Add the eggs and buttermilk and then the bran and oil/raisin mix. Mix well.
Using an ice cream scoop of normal size, place two scoops in each greased muffin tin cup.
Place tins in the middle of the preheated oven, and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes in the tins, then remove from tins to a cooling rack. These freeze incredibly well, and are a terrific snack to keep in the car or in your bag or lunch basket.
4 comments:
Oh man - now those muffins look so good too!! I've got to give this recipe a try, too. It's too hot to turn on the oven right now, but they are going to the top of the list of "what to bake next".
I really love that your recipes seem so straightforward - just the best ingredients and delicious.
Thanks so much.
Barb - I don't know where you live, but it's hot in New Hampshire, too. However, I forge ahead with baking and cooking today, because it's a lovely day off. Wait til you see the 15 minute no-pectin black raspberry jam I made! It heated up the kitchen just a little, but not too bad.
You really leave the sweetest words I could ever hear, which is my recipes are straight-forward. I think what all we cooks are looking for are good directions and a recipe that's been tried out. I hear horror stories about food writers who make up recipes and never actually make them - can you imagine? Thanks for your wonderful comments!
I know the recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but would a whole wheat one work too?
Thanks,
Aubrey
Aubrey - if you can do half whole wheat and half all-purpose, I think the muffin will be fine. All whole wheat might make for a heavy muffin, but you can try, anyway. I know health food stores and King Arthur Flour in Vermont make a lighter whole wheat pastry flour - King Arthur is among my links, so you could click and see.
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