Bran Muffins with Raisins

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Bran Muffins with Raisins

(Adapted from an original recipe from Company's Coming, Muffins & More, by Jean Paré.)

In a medium sized bowl mix:

1 cup Plain, natural, unsweetened yogurt
1 cup Natural bran

Let sit for 5 min.

Line your muffing pan with paper liners or grease the pan if you prefer.  Pre-heat the oven to 375° F (190°C).

In a large bowl mix:

1 cup + 2 tbsp. Pastry flour or 1 cup All-purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
¾ cup Raisins

To the bran mixture add:

⅓ cup Canola oil or other light-flavoured oil
3 tbsp. Honey
1 egg
¼ cup Brown sugar
½ tsp. Vanilla extract

Stir after each addition and beat lightly with a spoon until mixed. 

Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the liquid, and stir just to moisten.  Over beating makes for tough muffins.

Fill muffin cups, and bake for 20 - 25 min.  Makes 12.


Variations: 

I really prefer yogurt in this, but you can use sour milk (1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice stirred into 1 cup of milk) or commercial buttermilk.  If you have a very thick yogurt, you can thin it with some milk, just don't end up with more than 1 cup.

Chopped dates or other dried fruit work well in place of raisins.

Molasses can be used in place of the honey.

A very small splash of rum replaces the vanilla nicely.  Or use TV chef Michael Smith's trick of placing a couple of whole vanilla beans in a jar of rum and leaving it to steep--homemade vanilla extract.

Reconstituted cane sugar (most organic table sugar is made this way, and is an off-white crystal) can be used in place of the brown.

Spice to your taste.  I sometimes use ground ginger instead of cinnamon.