Bran Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes                           Baking Time: 15-20 minutes
Yield: 9-10 standard-size muffins

Ingredients:

¾ cup (185 mL) raisins, soaked in vanilla-flavoured hot water

1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
1 ½ cups (375 mL) wheat bran

¼ cup (60 mL) vegetable or grapeseed oil
105 g (½ cup hard-packed) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, unbeaten
¼ cup (60 mL) Crosby’s ^[1]blackstrap (cooking) molasses
1 tablespoon (15 mL) honey
2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon (4 mL) apple cider vinegar

150 g (1 cup) flour (75 g each of all-purpose and whole wheat flour works well)
1 ½ teaspoons (7 mL) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) baking soda
¾ teaspoon (3.5 mL) salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰F (180⁰C). Prepare a muffin pan with paper liners, or spray with a vegetable oil spray.
2. In a small bowl, cover the raisins with hot water and add ½ teaspoon of vanilla.
3. In another small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and wheat bran. Set aside as you prepare the other ingredients.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, molasses, honey, vanilla, and vinegar.
5. In another small bowl, stir together the flours, baking powder/soda, and salt.
6. Stir the milk/wheat bran mixture into the oil/sugar mixture.
7. Gently and minimally combine the flour mixture with the liquid ingredients.
8. Drain the raisins, and stir into the muffin batter.
9. Bake for 15-18 minutes (depending on the size of the muffin cups).

Questions and comments are always welcome     alex@chilipeppersandpears.com ^[2]