Old Fashioned Bran Muffins

You can check out a multitude of cookbooks and cooking magazines to find a plethora of fancy and tasty muffin recipes, and I encourage you to do so. Many great recipes can be found that way. What is harder to find these days are the basic wholesome recipes we may remember from our childhood. With that in mind I wish to share a back to basics recipe that is also delicious.

Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 cups whole-bran cereal
1/2 cup seedless raisins
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk (Note: if you prefer, you may substitute whole milk for the buttermilk)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line muffin pan cups with paper liners.
2. Sift flour with baking powder, soda, and salt into medium bowl. Add bran and raisins and mix well.
3. In large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, cream butter with sugar until light and creamy. Beat in egg.
4. At slow speed, stir in flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Batter should be slightly lumpy.
5. Pour batter into muffin pan cups, filling approximately 2/3 full.
6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden.

Makes 1 dozen

Next Week: Quick Breads