Bran Muffins Worth Trying

Wow, first of all...THANK YOU for all the sweet comments regarding our latest news!  It makes everything that much more joyful and real for us, so thanks for sharing in our excitement!

I'll go into more detail soon, but this first trimester has been much easier on me.  I don't find myself gaging thinking about vegetables or turned off my the thought of something "healthy".  In fact, on Sunday morning, I had a strong craving for bran muffins, so bran muffins we made!

Growing up, there was this cool coffee house called Diedrich's Coffee and they made theee best bran muffins.  It's hard to describe, but I basically bought them for the top which was almost crunchy.  I'm definitely not doing them justice, but trust me, they were amazing! 

This version is a pretty close second.  The muffins are moist-thanks to the pureed raisins and yogurt, and the tops are just a little bit crispy...which is perfection if you ask me.

Recipe from Broma Bakery:

Ingredients//

2 cup wheat bran

1 cup, plus 1/2 cup dark raisins

1 cup, plus 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk or plain low- or non-fat yogurt

a few swipes of fresh orange zest

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method//

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Spread the wheat bran on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for six to eight minutes, stirring a few times so it cooks evenly. Let cool.

While the bran is toasting, heat 1 cup of the raisins with 1/2 cup of the water. Simmer for ten minutes, or until the water is all absorbed. Puree the raisins in a food processor or blender until smooth.

In a large bowl, mix together the toasted bran, buttermilk or yogurt, 1 cup water, then mix in the raisin puree, orange zest, and brown sugar.

Stir in the oil, and eggs.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and sift directly into the wet ingredients. Stir until the ingredients are just combined, then mix in the remaining 1/2 cup raisins.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, making sure the batter is mounded slightly in each one. Because muffin tins can very in size, if your tins are larger, make fewer muffins.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins feel set in the center.

Hope you enjoy!

xo natasha