Now, I’m not much of a cupcake person really. Of course, I haven’t tried any of those super gourmet cupcakes that are all the rage in the U.S. these days (I think they became popular after I moved to Japan). Usually I find that cupcakes are too sweet for me. When I do want something sweet, I usually choose a cookie. Nothing beats a warm gooey chocolate chip cookie in my book.
Muffins, however, are totally my thing. I love muffins. They can be slightly sweet or savory. They’re delicious for break, lunch, or as an accompaniment for dinner. They can be so much more healthy than cupcakes (of course they can also be just as unhealthy depending on what you put in them).
I love muffins for breakfast. Blueberry, lemon poppy seed, chocolate chip, etc. My favorite though, is probably good old bran muffins. Not just any bran muffins, however, but my mom’s bran muffins. When my mom made muffins for breakfast when we were growing up, they were almost always bran muffins. And my brothers and I loved them, despite their healthiness.
When I started living on my own in college, I made sure I got my mom’s bran muffin recipe from her, so I could still make them for breakfast. Even now, here in Japan, I still make them on a regular basis for my husband (who also loves them) and myself. There’s something warm and comforting about bran muffins for breakfast. With a dab of butter and a drizzle of honey, delicious.
Bran Muffins
- 1 c. bran
- 2 c. All Bran Cereal
- 1 c. boiling water
- 1/2 c. honey
- 3/4 c. melted butter -or- coconut oil -or- apple sauce
- 2 1/2 c. flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 c. buttermilk (or 2 c. milk plus 2 Tbsp lemon juice)
- chopped walnuts and raisins (optional)
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C).
- In a medium size bowl, mix bran and All Bran cereal. Pour boiling water on top and mix well. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix honey and melted butter together, and then add to flour mixture, mixing well.
- Add buttermilk and cereal mixture to bowl and mix. Add chopped nuts and raisins and mix.
- Fill muffin tins and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll end up with a happy smiling bran muffin like this one! Of course then you’ll feel guilty as you eat it’s face, but by the time you’re done chewing, you will have forgotten all about it, because the muffin just tastes so darn good. Happy baking!
