Happy New Year!
You're gonna ease on down the road with this fantastic bran muffin recipe.
It's time for a big bag of Bob's Red Mill Wheat Bran. Buy it here, online, or you can buy it at Fairway Markets. You can purchase Bob's Red Mill products directly from them at bobsredmill.com
Use their whole wheat pastry flour too. It's reliably great. Another terrific brand is King Arthur Flour. Try their White Whole Wheat flour (cool).
For those of you who want to cut out the refined sugar (my friend Michael, commented that these looked great, save for the brown sugar), I've tweaked the recipe for Agave Syrup users. Look, it's still sugar, but it's supposed to be lower glycemic and 'better' for you. At least I haven't stooped to apple juice concentrate. The substitute/variation will be noted in bold red.
Bran New Year Muffins
Adapted by Blue Heron Kitchen from Nancy Silverton’s Pastries From the La Brea Bakery
2 c. unprocessed bran, toasted lightly (Bob’s Red Mill is great)
1 ½ c. organic raisins 1 3/4 cup for Agave syrup variation
½ c. toasted and chopped organic walnuts (optional) Add 1/4 c. chopped organic dried apricots
1 1/2 c. water additional 1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. for Agave syrup variation
½ cup low fat buttermilk
1 Tbsp. orange zest, finely chopped (or use 1/4 tsp. orange oil, added with vanilla to the cooked raisins)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/ 2 c. light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed. (make certain it is fresh and moist) Omit sugar and substitute: 1/4 c. dark, raw Agave syrup
½ c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 egg, size large, room temperature
1 egg white from a large egg, room temperature
½ c. unbleached all purpose flour
¼ c. whole wheat pastry flour (or King Arthur’s “White Whole Wheat” flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
Adjust oven rack to middle and prepare muffin tins (approx.. 12-18, depending upon the size of your tins) with paper cups or with spray release (unless you’re still with the 2011 green resolution) or brush them with melted butter (the best choice).
Bran truc: Babysit your bran. After about 3 minutes at 350º F., gently turn it over or shake it around (using a jelly roll pan is a good choice) and don’t leave. It burns faster than a newborn baby on a tanning bed.
Put 1 cup of the raisins with 1 cup of water for Agave syrup variation, put an additional 1/4 cup raisins plus 2 additional Tbsp. water in a small saucepan and simmer on low heat until the water is mostly absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. It’s okay if there’s liquid left. Cool for a few minutes, add the vanilla extract (and orange oil, if you're not using zest) and place in a blender or (better) in the bowl of a food processor with its steel blade and process until puréed.
Measure the oil and 1/4 cup dark Agave syrup in a large liquid measuring cup, add the eggs and lightly whisk together. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
Pour the toasted bran into a large mixing bowl. Add the buttermilk and remaining ½ cup of water for Agave syrup recipe, add an additional 1/4 c., bringing total to 3/4 c. of water and stir to combine. Stir in raisin purée, orange zest and brown sugar (omit sugar if using Agave syrup duh). Add the oil/egg/Agave mixture and stir to combine.
Fold in the remaining combined dry ingredients. Add remaining raisins and optional walnuts (or other nuts/dried fruit of your choice) add 1/4 c. chopped organic, dried apricots for Agave syrup variation.
Spoon into prepared tins almost to the top.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the muffins are browned and fairly firm to the touch.
Cool for a few minutes and release. Serve warm.
These are best the day they are baked. They freeze beautifully.
this one is for GS. thank you for making my christmas so bright.
peace and love and may all your dreams come true in the new year,
jane
