Bran Muffins

Ever-Ready Oat Bran Muffins

I mixed up a big bowl of this batter for the first time just after my first baby was born in 1987. We'd just moved into a fixer-upper. Friends and relatives started dropping by the house to see the baby and the renovations we'd recently started. When guests came, I'd put a dozen of these muffins in the oven and make tea or coffee.

The smell of home baking on a cold day makes these moist and delicious muffins worth waiting for.  A dozen won't last long. The recipe makes about 5 dozen muffins. The batter will keep up to 2 months in the fridge.

If you know anyone who's going to have visitors or house guests, a batch of this muffin mixture in a plastic tub or bowl is a nice homemade gift. Add a new muffin pan, if you think they might not have one.

The original recipe specifies 2 cups raisins but I think it's better if you add more. It's worth buying real buttermilk instead of substituting soured milk for this recipe.

• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups natural bran
• 5 cups Robin Hood all purpose flour
• 5 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, margarine or shortening
• 3 cups white granulated sugar
• 4 beaten eggs
• 4 cups buttermilk (1 quart)
• 4 cups Old Mill oats
• 2-4 cups raisins or dried fruit

1. Pour boiling water over bran and let stand.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a very large bowl or a large pot. Mix well.
3. In a separate large bowl, cream butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs and buttermilk.
5. Stir butter mixture into flour mixture.
6. Stir in oats, raisins and soaked bran just till blended.
7. Grease muffin tins or line with paper cupcake liners.
8. Fill each liner 3/4 full.
9. For small muffins (without a muffin-top) use an ice-cream scoop, and measure one level scoop for each muffin.
10. Bake muffins in preheated 375 degree F oven (or 350 degrees F convection) 15-20 minutes until golden and top is firm and bounces back to the touch.
11. Loosen edges if necessary and take muffins out of hot pan to cool on wire rack.
12. Store unused muffin batter in a container with a lid, refrigerate up to two months.
13. To bake refrigerated batter, spoon cold batter into muffin pans as above.
14.  Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven 20-25 minutes.

Crosbys Molasses Bran Muffins

I haven't tried this recipe yet but will when I have molasses left-over after making gingerbread.

If you have the molasses, you could make your own fresh brown sugar instead of buying a bag that might harden unused in the cupboard. To make light brown sugar, stir 1-1/2 Tbsp light or dark molasses into 1 cup white sugar.

If you have brown sugar in the cupboard and it has hardened, try this idea from Martha Stewart: put the brown sugar in a microwavable bowl, drape with 1-2 damp paper towels, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 10-second intervals until the sugar is soft, then stir with a fork and use right away.

Note: Baking the muffins initially at a higher temperature is supposed to result in a higher muffin-top.

• 6 cups natural wheat bran
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
• 5 cups flour, spooned in
• 2 Tbsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 F and prepare muffin pans.
2. Measure the wheat bran into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Stir and let sit.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Whisk in the molasses and buttermilk.
5. Add flour mixture and stir gently until almost combined. Stir in wheat bran mixture and mix gently just until incorporated.
6. Scoop into prepared muffin cups and bake at 425 F for 5 minutes.
7. Reduce oven temperature to 375 F and bake for another 18-20 minutes, until muffin tops spring back lightly when touched.
8. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack.