Raisin Bran Muffins

I know I said in my last post that New York-Style Coffee Cake would be next, but I'm going to hold off on that recipe for a little while because I may be making some alterations to the recipe. It will give you something to look forward to though, trust me.

There's nothing weirder than a crunchy muffin. And in my opinion, there's nothing worse than soggy cereal. I'm the type of person who waits until the last minute, spoon at the ready, to pour the milk on to my Honey Bunches of Oats, and then starts shoveling it in before I even sit down. But, ironically, it's those gross, soggy, mushy flakes of bran that are the key to this muffin recipe.

Dan was in his last week of studying for the first step of the Boards (or, in his words, the most important test he'll ever take. Clearly, he'll never take a pregnancy test), when he asked me to make him something he could snack on throughout the day, without having to take a break from studying, and that wouldn't put him into a food coma. We settled on muffins and I decided to try these.

After the first bite, I wasn't sure I was going to finish the whole muffin. It was dense, not that sweet, and seemed sort of flavorless. But then, I took another bite, and another. The texture lightened up and the subtle flavor of the bran started to come through. These weren't phenomenal, but they were good. My favorite bites were the ones with the raisins in them since that upped the sweetness factor by about 10 so I changed the recipe to include more raisins if you're looking for a sweeter muffin. If you're feeling really frisky, you might even add a pinch of cinnamon for a little added spice. But this is a solid, easy recipe for a basic bran muffin.  

Raisin Bran Muffins

Yield: 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 1/2 cups raisin bran cereal

1 cup raisins

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Demerara sugar (Granulated brown sugar)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugars. Stir in the cereal and raisins; set aside. It's best to do this by hand as the paddle of a mixer will break up the cereal.

2. In another large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, folding to incorporate. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night or up to 3 days in an airtight container.

4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

5. Divide the batter between the 12 muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with the demerara sugar.

6. Bake for 20-25 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, and then in the refigerator for up to another week.

(Adapted from Joy the Baker)

Next Indulgence: Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookies (That's right. The TRIFECTA)