Raisin Bran Muffins

I am dead serious about bran muffins.

It’s one of those things that you either have a love/hate relationship with. Some people like them, but not with raisins, others need that hit of chocolate or a chunk of fruit. This recipe is totally unique. The bran is toasted first, it contains orange zest and 2 types of raisins, which for me is a major plus!

The sultanas are plumped, pureed and added to the batter and the golden raisins are left whole. There’s a raisin flavor that runs throughout, but you still get a juicy pop from the goldens in every bite. They also last for a week or so on the counter, staying totally moist and delicious.

I have tested numerous recipes, tweaked a few, tried the one on the buttermilk carton, and even came back to my original recipe before I came across Nancy Silverton’s Pastries from the La Brea Bakery. It was a beautiful day; the quest was over, and I will never try another bran muffin recipe for as long as I live. I have tweaked it slightly, by adding the 2^nd type of raisin into the mix and figuring out the details involved with resting the batter (which you will read about later on).

Makes 1 Dozen

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unprocessed bran
• 1 cup sultana raisins
• ½ cup golden raisins
• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ orange zest
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup neutral flavored oil
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• ½ cup AP flour
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

Procedure:

• Toast Bran in oven for 5-10 minutes. Cool on counter.
• Simmer the sultana raisins and 1 cup water for 14 minutes. Puree.
• Pour bran into bowl, add buttermilk and remaining ½ cup water. Add raisin puree, brown sugar and orange zest. Mix.
• Add oil, egg and egg white and mix.
• Add the golden raisins.
• Sift flours with baking powder and soda. Add salt.
• Stir dry ingredients into bran mixture.

It’s very important to let mixture rest on the counter for 25 minutes before portioning and baking. This allows the batter to hydrate and will create more of a domed top.

• Scoop batter into muffin lined tin, mounding the tops and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.

*Star Wars cups optional

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