Healthy Bran Muffins

I guess I like to post in twos so here is another...

The kids and I really like these muffins. They aren't really Joe's thing, but he isn't really into breakfast or bran. I like breakfasts/snacks that aren't too sweet and are filling and are easy to put in front of the kids without them whining at me too much. This fits the bill

Adapted from Farm Girl

1 cups (5¾oz / 164g) wheat bran
1 cup (5oz / 141g) white flour
1 cup (6oz / 170g) whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons (12g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (6g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (4g) salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (5oz by weight / 156g) milk
2/3 cup (5½ oz / 156g) yogurt
1/3 cup (2¼ oz / 65g) canola oil
1/3 cup (3¾ oz / 108g) sweet molasses or cane syrup
1/3 cup (3¾ oz / 108g) honey
1 teaspoon (6g) vanilla extract
For fruit variations see below

Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°. Grease a standard size muffin pan or line the cups with baking cups

Combine the wheat bran, white flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the eggs, milk, yogurt, canola oil, molasses, and honey in a small bowl and mix well. (Note: you can use all honey or all molasses instead if desired.)

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined.

Generously fill the muffin cups with batter. I use stainless steel scoops, which are also great for portioning out cookie dough.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully remove them and serve warm, or let them cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy your muffins plain, drizzled with a little honey, or spread with peanut butter and a slather of your favorite jam or butter (but then they aren't so healthy I guess) Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze. (I think they taste even better the second day.) Defrost muffins at room temperature, or in the microwave if you're in a hurry.

We added frozen rasberries to our muffins this week because they were already in the freezer, but have done banana or blueberry also. I usually just add whatever is on sale at the store or go to the frozen section.

Blueberry Bran Muffins
Makes about 10 large muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but gently fold 1½ cups (7½ oz/214g) fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter. There is no need to defrost frozen berries, but do quickly rinse off any ice with cold water. Note to blueberry lovers: I made a batch of these yesterday and, using my MoreMoreMore philosophy, crammed 2 cups of big fat blueberries into the batter—yum.

Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins
Makes 12-14 large and very moist muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but stir mashed very ripe banana (2 small bananas, about about 9 oz/255g including peel) into wet ingredients. Then gently fold 1½ cups (7½ oz/214g) fresh or frozen blueberries into the finished batter. Baking time may need to be increased to 25 to 28 minutes.

Cranberry Orange Bran Muffins
Makes about 10 large muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but replace the 2/3 cup milk with 2/3 cup orange juice and omit the vanilla extract. Stir 1 cup (4½ oz/127g) orange flavored dried cranberries (I recently discovered these at Trader Joe's and think they're wonderful) or regular dried cranberries to finished batter. For muffins with more orange flavor, stir 1 teaspoon finely chopped or grated orange zest into the wet ingredients.