Favorite Bran Muffins

Submitted by briosgaid

"My mum used to make these for me all the time, and I would only eat them if she put chocolate chips in them. Now I make them myself, and they are just as good without the extra sweetness! Prep time is approximate - it usually takes me a long time to butter and flour my muffin pans. (makes 12 2 -3/4 in. muffins, or 20 mini muffins and about 8 med. muffins)"

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Yields: 12 muffins

ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour is fine, too)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, omit this)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1⁄4 cup packed brown sugar (either light or dark)
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream (or pureed cottage cheese or tofu, with a tsp. or so of lemon juice)
• 1⁄4 cup molasses
• 1 cup natural bran (NOT bran flakes cereal!)

directions

1. Butter and flour muffin tins (you can use leftover flour in the next step if you are feeling quite economical) Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a bowl (if using whole wheat flour, you have to dump in the little flakes- they will not sift through the sieve) In a large bowl, cream softened butter on moderate speed for about 2 minutes or until creamy.
2. Beat in brown sugar and beat one minute, or until combined.
3. Blend in egg and vanilla and beat for one minute.
4. On a lower speed, blend in sour cream and molasses, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to keep the batter even.
5. By hand, stir in sifted dry ingredients, blending just until flour particles have been absorbed.
6. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 13-15 minutes for a medium muffin tin, 10 min for mini muffins, and 15-18 for large muffins, or until the batter starts to pull away from the sides and a pick inserted into the middle comes out clean and dry.
7. Let cool in tin for about 45 seconds, then remove to a wire cooling rack.