Bran Muffins

By Marlenew

leave it for 2 weeks in the fridge, and it's been just fine. The recipe as written makes about 18 muffins; it doubles easily.

Put this together the night before baking, so the bran can soften and the batter thicken.

Ingredients

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup bran cereal (buds or twigs); or 1 3/4 cups bran flakes
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups cup raisins or currants
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 cups bran cereal (buds or twigs); or 3 1/2 cups bran flakes

Details

Servings 18
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 555mins

Preparation

Step 1

In a small mixing bowl, pour the boiling water over the 1 cup of cereal. Allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm, about 45 minutes.

While the water/cereal mixture cools, blend together the flour, soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the raisins or currants. Set it aside.

Stir the vegetable oil into the cooled water/cereal mixture. Set it aside.

Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and sugar. Combine this with the flour/raisin mixture.

Stir in the dry cereal.

Finally, add the water/bran/oil mixture, stirring till thoroughly combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin pan, or line with paper cups, and grease the cups. Use as many wells as you like; since this recipe can live in the fridge for a couple of weeks, there's no need to bake 12 muffins all at once.

Heap the thick batter in the muffin cups; a generous 1/4 cup batter (about 3 1/2 ounces, or 100g) is a good amount to use.

Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, till a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, and tip the muffins in the pan to prevent their bottoms steaming and becoming soggy. Serve warm; or transfer to a rack to cool completely.

To bake mini muffins, heap the batter in the muffin cups, and bake for about 15 minutes, till the muffins test done.

Yield: 18 standard muffins, or 45 mini muffins.