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Maida's Famous Bran Muffins

Source of Recipe


Maida (secondary source unknown)






List of Ingredients



• 2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  
• 1/4 cup dark or light molasses, or honey
  
• 2 eggs (large grade)
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1-1/2 cups bran cereal (do not use flakes; Maida recommends Kellogg's All-Bran)
  
• 1 cup raisins
  
• 1 cup walnuts, broken into large pieces
  
• 1/2 cup unsifted whole wheat flour
  
• 1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose white flour
  
• 3/4 tsp salt
  
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
  






Instructions



1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 18 (2-3/4-inch) muffin forms. (Note: Buttering the tins will create a very nice crust for the muffins; if using paper cups, the crust may be diminished but the muffins will keep longer.)
   
   
2. Melt butter over low heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, and molasses or honey and stir to mix.
   
   
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and milk to mix.
   
   
4. Slowly add the egg mixture to the butter mixture, stirring with a wire whisk to blend. Mix in the bran and raisins and let stand for a few minutes (or cover and refrigerate overnight). Stir in walnuts.
   
   
5. Sift together flours, salt, and baking soda, and add to bran mixture. Stir quickly with rubber spatula just enough to moisten dry ingredients.
   
   
6. With a large spoon, fill prepared cups with batter, about two-thirds full.
   
   
7. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating muffin pans once to ensure even cooking. Muffins are done when they spring back from touch. (Note: If muffin mixture has been refrigerated, cooking time will be 4 minutes longer.) Remove from oven, unmold from baking tins immediately, and cool on rack.
   
   Makes 18 muffins.
   
   






Final Comments


This is a great recipe to make the night before (up to adding the flour mixture) so that you can have fresh muffins ready in a jiffy the next morning.