Bran Muffins with Golden Raisins

There's something about bran muffins.  They just sound so very healthy and I always feel slightly more virtuous when I order one.  The problem is that most commercial bran muffins pack a healthy dose of sugar and very little actual bran.  Take Otis Spunkmeyer, their Harvest Bran Muffin contains 19 grams of sugar and 10 grams of fat.  I might be able to live with that, but what freaks me the hell out is that individually wrapped muffins have a 35 day shelf life.  Did you get that?  You can keep these babies on your shelf longer than a month with no loss of quality.  If you run across an unwrapped  Spunkmeyer muffin at a coffee shop, they have a 14 day shelf life.  Mind you this is after they've been defrosted, so who knows when they were originally manufactured?   No thank you. I've had relationships that didn't last that long.  I don't need that kind of commitment from a muffin.

This recipe is based on one I found in Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.   It contains a healthy dose of bran, not a lot of sugar and these muffins will keep a mere three days in an airtight container.  If you  like your muffins a little sweeter go ahead and add up to a 1/4 cup more brown sugar.  I like using golden raisins in this recipe because they are plumper and sweeter than regular raisins.  I think they're a nice balance to the coarseness of the bran. Golden raisins and dark raisins are made from the same Thompson Grape (also known as the Sultana) but while dark raisins are allowed to dry naturally, golden raisins are treated with a small amount of sulphur dioxide to prevent them from darkening.  If that freaks you out then go ahead and substitute regular raisins or go crazy and try substituting dried cranberries. 

Bran Muffins with Golden Raisins

Bran Muffins with Golden Raisins - One Page Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour             
1/2 tsp baking soda                 
1/2 tsp salt                      
1 1/2 cups wheat bran              
3/4 cup unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1/4 cup plus 2 TBS brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 TBS unsulfured molasses
8 ounces golden raisins
1 tsp orange zest

Allow the butter and eggs to come to room temperature and preheat the oven to 375. Butter and flour a nonstick muffin tin and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, soda, salt, and wheat bran; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed for two to three minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, sour cream and molasses and mix until just combined.

Remove the bowl from the stand and fold in the flour mixture, raisins and orange zest by hand.  Mix gently until everything is just combined.

Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, fill each muffin cup about three quarters full.  

Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 15  - 17 minutes.   When a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out with moist crumbs attached, they’re done.  Let cool in the pan for ten minutes than transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Yields approximately 16.  Muffins can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for three days or frozen.

Comments

[mamichelle]

LOL, you crack me up! That is a long shelf life!

You'd have to scrap the raisins and add walnuts or pecans for me to eat those! LOVE bran muffins and these look delish...but I hate raisins.

I want your mixer!

[Kimi]

I'll take Michell's raisins. Adding nuts does sound good...walnuts are healthier, so I'd use those. I think I'll mix a two batches of these this weekend. I'll do one with raisins & use the cranberries in my freezer, for another batch. I'll freeze them all & defrost them as they are eaten.

Thanks for the yummy recipe.

[Barb]

I'll have to try these, they really look good. Barb (SBA)

[juls]

These look yummy! Thanks for the recipe!

[Erica]

Awesome! Thanks for posting this. I'm going to put it on the UWKC blog later today :)

[order fioricet online]

Wow.. I love that cake.. So delicious..