Not your usual bran muffins

First thought when I saw this recipe: Bran muffins? Who the hell wants to waste their time baking bran muffins?

My previous experiences with bran muffins have left me with the impression that they make better sponges than edible breakfast fare. Admit it! You've had those 'bran muffins' that are so dry that they leave you with the feeling that you've mistakenly opened your mouth in a sand storm.

Thought after my first taste: Oh my gosh! I have seen the light! I now believe.

What possessed me to "waste" my time? My girlfriend, MM. She's recently had surgery that, among other things, involved her colon. So I was thinking, 'what could I bake for her? Cookies? Yeah, but they'd do nothing for her health (which I'm really concerned about). Bread? Maybe some bland-ish bread that she could eat if she doesn't feel well. What about something that could help with bowel function? Bran? Hmmm. The only thing I know of is bran muffins. Gag!'

What else do I have to do with my time? So, I did a little research and found that my favorite bread blogger, Farmgirl Fare, had also posted a recipe for bran muffins (sans sugar!). So, I printed it out, evaluated it, did some Christa tweaking and made my first batch.

My wide eyed reaction has propelled me to share this wonderful recipe with you!

Farmgirl Bran Muffins-Christa-style

2 cups wheat bran
1 cup oat bran
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 eggs (or 3/4 c egg substitute)
3/4 cup Splenda
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup yogurt (I used Dannon Light 'n Fit-Vanilla Creme)
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cup milk (I used fat free)
1 T canola oil
1 t vanilla extract

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a muffin pan or use paper liners. In a large bowl, combine wheat bran, oat bran, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix and set aside. In a smaller bowl, mix eggs, Splenda, honey yogurt, milk, canola oil and vanilla extract. Whisk to mix and pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix with rubber spatula until combined. If it appears a little dry, try adding milk or yogurt, one tablespoon at a time, until you get a mixture that is wet, but not runny.

Fill muffin pan with 1/4 cup of mixture and bake approximately 15 minutes. Muffins are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean! Cool muffins in the pan for 10 minutes and then finish cooling on a wire rack. Makes about 15 to 17 muffins.

Some alterations:
Blueberry Bran muffins
Follow the recipe above, but just add 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries in the batter. Tip: If you use frozen blueberries, rinse any ice from the berries, shake off excess water and then add to batter. Don't overmix and use batter immediately.

Raisin and Spice Bran muffins
Follow the recipe above, but add 2 T cinnamon, 2 t nutmeg and 2 t cloves to the dry ingredients. Also, add 1/2 to 3/4 cup raisins into the wet ingredients. Then, combine as instructed above.

As always, sample the batter before baking. If it doesn't taste sweet enough, try adding more Splenda or honey. If the raisin/spice mix doesn't have enough spice power, then add a little more!

These are soooo good! Best when eaten shortly after baking or zapped in the microwave for 20 to 25 seconds. I've been eating these, slathered in peanut butter, for breakfast the past four days.

Besides their taste, another great thing about these muffins is that they freeze wonderfully. Just double bag them in Ziploc freezer baggies. Thaw them at room temperature or for a few seconds in the microwave. Next experiment . . uh, I mean next time, I'm gonna try adding peanut butter and possibly chocolate chunks. I'll let ya know how it goes!

Happy baking!