best bran muffin recipe

[ben61820]

hit me with your best if you think youve got a good bran muffin recipe, please. im constantly trying them and have never really goten what i would call a really, really good, worth-eating bran muffin. thanks.

[Cynsa]

my friend, Dodi, makes these muffins with
1 CUP BOILING WATER     2 CUP ALL BRAN cereal
Pour water over bran and let sit for 30 min.

1 1/2 C. SUGAR   1/2 C. SHORTENING  2 EGGS  2/1/2 teaspoon BAKING
POWDER  1/2 t. SALT
Cream together

Add  2 1/2 C. FLOUR .  2 C. BUTTERMILK
Add these alternating with egg, sugar, etc. mixture

Stir in the  1 cup of BRAN BUDS

Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes.
- add nuts, raisins, dried cranberries or, whatever you like

[Norm Man]

I like America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated's "Better Bran Muffins." I am not much of a baker but my sister makes them for me and they're great.

http://www.food.com/recipe/better-bra...

[welv2shop]

Just found this one. Going to try it this afternoon. I will let you know the results. Sounds good and healthy.

http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2007/02/b...

[welv2shop]

Well I tried this recipe and I must say this is the best bran muffin I have ever made. I added blueberries and raisins. I will be making this one for a long time. Very heathy too.

[thedragonlady]

I, too, am ISO of a great bran muffin recipe. I just found La Brea Bakery's recipe (adapted from Nancy Silverton's "Pastries from La Brea Bakery" cookbook) and plan on testing it out this week. Anyone have any experience with this recipe? I'll let you know how it goes. The worse thing that could happen is that they're boring and we eat them all anyway.

********************************************************************************************************
Bran Muffins
Makes 12
Adapted from Pastries from La Brea Bakery by Nancy Silverton

2 cup (125g) wheat bran
1 cup, plus 1/2 cup (190g total) dark raisins
1 cup, plus 1/2 (370ml total) cup water
1/2 cup (120g) buttermilk or plain low- or non-fat yogurt
a few swipes of fresh orange zest (unsprayed)
1/2 cup (105g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 cup (65g) flour
1/4 cup (35g) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin (with 1/2-cup indentations) with paper liners.
2. 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.
3. While the bran is toasting, heat 1 cup (135g) of the raisins with 1/2 cup (120ml) 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.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the toasted bran, buttermilk or yogurt, 1 cup (250ml) water, then mix in the raisin puree, orange zest, and brown sugar.
5. Stir in the oil, egg and egg white.
6. Mix together the flours, 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 (55g) raisins.
7. 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.
8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins feel set in the center.

[ChristineSch]

I had my first really really good, worth-eating and HEALTHY bran muffin the other day. It was from the bakery department at a store called Wild Oats. It had ingredients of bran, whole wheat flour, raisins and molasses and it was moist and super-delicious, huge, branny but not dry. They won't give me the recipe and I need to try to figure it out so I can make some. I do not live in a town near a Wild Oats store so I need help figuring out what the recipe might be.

[WINDELLA]

I agree with bolivianita,the recipe on the All Bran box is deliscious,I sometimes add chopped, pitted dates to that recipe.

[bolivianita]

I love the muffin recipe on the box of All Bran. I remember waking up on Sundays to the smell of muffins and my Dads ham and green onion omelet.

[tweetie]

No sugar at all, Dixieday, or is the molasses the replacement?

[dixieday2]

This is one from my cookbook, Honey from Flower to Table. They are really good, and very healthy too. Enjoy!

Buzzing Bran Muffins

First, grease a 12-cup muffin pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Get out three bowls—a big bowl, a medium-sized one, and a smallish one.

The goopy mix:
3/4 cup boiling water
1 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup dark, full-flavored honey or molasses
4 TB canola oil
1 cup raisins

In the big bowl, mix together and set aside for 5 minutes.

The dry mix:
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup wheat germ

In the medium bowl, sift or mix together well.

The wet mix:

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk

In the smallish bowl (or a big glass measuring cup) beat eggs and buttermilk together.

Now, stir dry mix into goopy mix. Stir briefly, then add wet mix. Stir together lightly until just mixed. Fill muffin cups and bake 25 minutes or until muffins spring back lightly when pressed with a fingertip. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then serve or let cool on a rack. Makes 10-12 muffins.

http://piequeen.blogspot.com/2005/03/...

[JasmineG]

I made these tonight, thanks! Subbed butter for the oil, and AP flour for the whole wheat (and so cooked them a little less time), and added in some cinnamon and nutmeg. Yum!

[suze_nj]

I made dixie's recipe & I agree, they are brown (unlike a lot of lame recipes) and have the right texture and moisture you look for in a bran muffin. I also liked the way they rose perfectly rounded & smooth/shiny on top (most of them do not rise enough and are matte and too bumpy). I used Alaga syrup (molasses) & the flavor was nice & rich. Also added a bit of orange zest. They were a bit lacking in flavor IMHO, so I am going to experiment w/ juice for the water, dried cherries, other spices. Maybe one w/ a little ginger and some more zest. A very good basis to make the perfect Bran Muffin. Thanks!

[tweetie]

I recently went on a bran muffin odyssey and really liked this one although the hunt is ongoing. I added in some wheat germ with the bran and threw in some dried cranberries too. I like the idea of molasses as an ingredient so I'll keep experimenting.

Good luck!
http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/...

[thenurse]

Here's the link to the above mentioned recipe:

http://www.natrel.ca/english/recipes/...

[thenurse]

The bran muffin recipe on the side of the Sealtest Buttermilk carton here in Ontario is the best, IMHO. I substiture whole wheat or spelt flour for the AP flour, and add cinnamon. I think buttermilk is the key to great bran muffins - any muffins, really.
I'll try and find a link to the recipe - I don't have a carton to copy from right now.

[morebubbles]

Of course you can use whole wheat flour (that's what I would use) or even spelt flour; which reminds me, I have spelt bran, maybe I'll make that recipe with a slight twist by changing the grain..

[ben61820]

thanks for the epi link. i might try those. not to sound too picky but im also looking for a recipe that does NOT call for AP flour, yknow? want to go the whole grain road...even though its a bran muffin anyhow. so, thinking i may give the epi one a shot with whole wheat flour (maybe whole wheat pastry flour). thanks!
any more ideas, holler at me.

[Anya L]

I always make that Sour Cream Bran Muffin recipe using half whole wheat flour and it turns out great. It doesn't rise much (maybe it doesn't rise much anyway), but the texture is quite pleasant and moist. It's my current favorite.

[pamd]

try these...and report back if you do!

http://www.bbonline.com/recipe/hilton...

[julesrules]

I like this one, even made with yogurt instead of sour cream. I haven't made enough to say it's THE best though! I think the key ingredients in a good bran muffin are butter and molasses. I also like to add vanilla and spices: cinnamon, cloves and the like. And I also like a variety of cranberries, golden raisins and dark raisins.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/rec...