Found it on the 3rd. Baked it on the 5th. That is how fast I jumped on this recipe once I saw it at Pastry Studio. I’ve mentioned before that one of Phil’s favorite breakfast item is a bran muffin studded with raisins and nuts. I know that baking the version of his past is akin to finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so I simply enjoy the path of trying different recipes and getting feedback on how close or far I am from the muffin of his hippie days.
BUTTERMILK BRAN MUFFINS
(from Pastry Studio)
Makes 16 muffins
1 cup (8 oz) buttermilk at room temperature
1 cup (2 oz) wheat bran
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (89 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (89 grams) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (3 oz) canola oil
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (2 1/4 oz) molasses
2 tablespoons (1 oz) honey
2 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
zest of 1/2 orange
1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz) raisins, chopped (I kept them whole)
1/2 cup (1 3/4 oz) pecans, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 16 wells in standard size muffin tins or use paper liners.
Place the buttermilk and bran in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Sift both flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In another bowl big enough to hold all the ingredients, whisk the oil, brown sugar, molasses and honey. Add the eggs and combine thoroughly. Mix in the vanilla and orange zest. Add the bran and buttermilk mixture. Whisk in the flour mixture just until there are no streaks. Do not over mix. Fold in the raisins and pecans.
Divide the batter equally in the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the muffins spring back when pressed gently in the center or a tester inserted comes out clean, about 13 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Use a small thin knife or small metal spatula to remove from the pan. Cool completely.
(I made half the recipe and that was enough for 7 regular-size muffins)
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: I am not wild about bran muffins, but in the name of food blogging I decided to try a little bite of one. Surprise! I enjoyed it so much it became my lunch that Sunday. 😉 Very moist, sweet but not as sweet as I expected for a muffin that contains honey, molasses, AND brown sugar. The molasses taste is the strongest and I think it masks the harshness of wheat bran very well. My kind of bran muffin.
Did I hit the jackpot with these? I am one step closer, but feedback from the resident former hippie suggests me to triple the raisins, use walnuts instead of pecans, and at least double that amount too. No wonder I have a hard time re-creating the concoction of his past. Obviously, it was not a muffin. It was a block of walnuts and raisins with just enough crumb to hold it all together. And, I must buy a jumbo muffin pan. So, that will be taken care of soon. But, the muffin part – the amount of bran and the overall sweetness – were spot on!
Now we move to the surprise part of this post. I was featured on “Food Writer Friday“, a publication run by Maureen from “The Orgasmic Chef” and Helene from “Masala Herb“. If you are interested, take a look at the amazing article she wrote by clicking here. My jaw kept dropping as I read it, and I developed this permanent smile on my face that lasted for a few days… The idea that someone on the other side of the planet (literally) would take the time and energy to write such a thoughtful article about someone she doesn’t even know personally, melts my heart…
When you’ve been blogging for a while, it is hard to know how you come across to your readers, and her article gave me a nice snapshot of it. Nothing pleased me more than realizing that my relationship with Phil is a big part of it. The fact that she chose my post on bran muffins to highlight our happiness made me smile, knowing that I had this post already written and scheduled for publication. Isn’t that an amazing coincidence?
(image from Wikimedia Commons)
Maureen, it is hard to express how much I love everything you wrote, and how much energy it gives me to go on with the blog, with my little stories, and my endless search for rainbows, pots of gold, and the perfect bran muffin… 😉
ONE YEAR AGO: Cider-Marinated Pork Kebabs
TWO YEARS AGO: Golden Age Granola
THREE YEARS AGO: Mushroom Souffle for Two
FOUR YEARS AGO: Stollen
Bewitching Kitchen 
Congratulations on the feature article. It’s well deserved.
Great looking muffins though you’re unlikely to find bran in my pantry. I’ll stick to the regular versions on the very rare occasions I make muffins. 🙂
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I don’t make muffins that often, but I am on a muffin kick, I guess… just got a jumbo muffin pan and tried yet another recipe yesterday… very nice, BTW…. shall blog about it next month or so
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Lovely to read the article in ‘Food Writer Friday’ ~ every word so resonated with me . . . we may be on different sides of the world but it takes just a click to be together! To learn and to enjoy! You very much provide such a place!! Muffins? Not being a baker, I have not made them for years, but I love almost everything you have in your recipe and I DO eat bran, so here is another one put onto the ‘to do’ file in the kitchen 🙂 !
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Baking is not easy for me, I must admit… the kitchen yesterday looked like a war zone after I was done with another “experiment” 😉
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Congrats, the article on Food Writer Friday was awesome! Very deserving and IMHO she nailed the essence of Sally even if she’s never actually met you!
Like Phil I had a favorite Bran Muffin many years back, more post-hippie stage if I remember correctly. They were truly the lazy-man’s homemade version using boxed Skinner’s Raisin Bran Cereal! I’m pretty sure the recipe was right on the box, it was also my Dad’s favorite cereal, though I doubt he ever ate a Bran Muffin made from it! The recipe you posted grabbed me with the molasses, honey and brown sugar! I’ll bet they are addictive!
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A whole-wheat muffin, or a bran muffin, is definitely a nice item to start the day. I don’t have breakfast, I am that defiant person who laughs at the “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, and feels fine without any food until lunchtime. I’ve been doing it since I was a child, it did not kill me yet 😉
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Your muffins look perfect, Sally! Thanks very much for the mention and congrats on the Food Writer Friday recognition. It’s a really beautiful write-up and it’s lovely “meeting” you.
I’m already thinking of making your chicken-lemon-olive dish……Your blog is a treasure. Thank you!
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Thank you so much for stopping by! Loved your visit… 🙂
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Good afternoon Sally, Congratulations! I just read the article on Food Writer Friday! I love bran muffins so I had to print your post so I can give these a try. After reading your article I immediately went to your post on sourdough bread. 🙂
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Sourdough is my passion, as you may have noticed, and those baguettes were wonderful, the shaping is the hardest part in the baguette making… I should do some again soon in our new oven
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She captured the essence of the Sally that I know from Bewitching Kitchen.. Well written.. Barb
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Thank you!
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Congratulations on the beautiful and well-deserved gift you received Sally being featured on Food Writer Friday in such an endearing fashion by Maureen. What a joy to read and share with you. Smile away you deserve the love… your muffins sound delightful and I don’t think I’ve been able to capture a rainbow nearly as well as that image (funny how they always appear so clear and spectacular in front of you but fade in the camera…) congrats again Sally! xo.
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Thank you! You know, interesting that you mentioned the rainbow photo – Phil and I took countless photos of rainbows, there was a particular time years ago in which rainbows seemed to be following us. We were in Paris and three days in a row we walked out our building to see a gorgeous rainbow in the sky, in one of the days it was a double rainbow! But our photos never captured the impact. So, I decided to search Wikimedia and let the professionals do the job for me 😉
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Awww such a sweet article over at Maureen’s! And really so spot on. I love it.
These bran muffins are looking great! I’m so glad to hear you’re one step closer to The Ultimate Muffins…but I did totally laugh at your “brick of walnuts and raisins” comment.
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I’ve been on a bran muffin kick lately… stay tuned!
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I’m not a huge fan of bran muffins, they always seem so dense and hard (bricks, LOL). I’m so glad I saw this because now I want to try these. They really sound great, and I appreciate the extra comments you add. I saw the profile on Maureen’s site last week – it must have been so nice to read it :-). Pinned!
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Exactly, bran muffins seem too dense for me, but this had a different feel altogether…
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Wow…I love muffins and these ones made from buttermilk and pecans look beyond fab. Congrats for being featured on Food Writer Fridays!!! xx
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Thank you, Denise! It was a wonderful surprise to see that article… still smiling about it…
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I think I’m a lot like Phil and reading this had me so imagining what he desires! As you may know from my muffin posts, which are few, the muffin has to be amazing in all ways for me to indulge! So, I’m very excited to try this out and so very glad Phil stays on top of you to continue to find that perfect hippy muffin!!
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He’s got high standards for bran (and blueberry) muffins, but that’s part of the fun 😉
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I love muffins, but never tried with bran before, sounds quite interesting 🙂
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I would say it is an acquired taste, not easy to enjoy the first time you have one, if you are used to non-bran varieties….
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i am always looking for a good bran muffin- one that is sweet but with that bran flavor still popping out and perfectly chewy and slightly crusty on top. this looks like that one!
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Next month I’ll have another one on the blog, I think you will like that very much too… a little crumb topping makes it very special….
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This looks delicious! I love a good bran muffin (haha, how many people really say that?!) I actually asked for some good bran flour for Christmas and my parents laughed at me and said “no, we can’t buy you that…”. LOL I guess I will have to buy some myself and make these muffins!
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You and my husband can definitely sing to that same tune… I must say he is slowly “converting” me… oh, well… I guess it is a good ingredient to warm up to, right?
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Congrats on the profile piece, I loved it. As for the muffins, nothing not to love here. Your reference to “hippie days” has me waiting for the REST of that story!
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Oh, boy… you want me to get in serious trouble with the husband, I can tell… I will have to refrain from divulging too much, you know… some stories better left untold! :-)))))))
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Loving these bran muffins…will try this out 🙂
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Hope you do! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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