Bran Muffins on a Shoestring

By awright0511

If you would prefer to make mini muffins, decrease the baking time by at least half.
To substitute for the butter, use nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening.
To substitute for sour cream, use a nondairy sour cream alternative, or a nondairy milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar (avoid rice milk).
I used raisins for the dried fruit, but dried blueberries are so tasty, as are dried cranberries or dried cherries (yum). The whole fruit business is entirely optional, though.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice bran (be sure to use a certified gluten-free brand – there aren’t many, but there is one)
• 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (I use Better Batter)
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if using Better Batter)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream (or 1 cup buttermilk) (or 1 cup milk mixed well with 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar)
• 3/4 cup dried fruit tossed with 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose gluten-free flour (fruit with flour optional)

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease well with extra unsalted butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin (or a 24-cup mini muffin tin) and set it aside.
In a large bowl, place the rice bran, flour, xanthan gum, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda and whisk to combine well. Add the butter and mix to combine well. Add the honey, molasses, eggs (1 at a time), and the sour cream, and beat well with a spoon after each addition, until the mixture is smooth. The batter will be thick. Add in the optional dried fruit, and mix gently until the fruit is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Place in the center of the preheated oven, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a tester placed in the center of a middle muffin in the tin comes out clean. If some of the muffins around the periphery of the pan are done first, remove them and place them on a wire rack to cool while you finish baking the center muffins.