I would love to take full credit for coming up with the title of this post, but I can’t. “A Bran Muffin Stole My Heart” was the title of a blog post by Michelle published almost 3 years ago, and brought to my attention by a friend over on Facebook (thank you, Tracy!). After reading Michelle’s post, I had the intuition that this recipe would be a winner. For starters, it makes big, very big muffins. Then, it proceeds by crowning each muffin with a tempting sprinkle of walnuts and sugar, that gets irresistibly crunchy as they bake. I had to make a batch and put it to the test of my resident bran muffin critic-extraordinaire… 😉
APPLE-RAISIN BRAN MUFFINS
(slightly modified from Put in Some Sugar)
1 + 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 + 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup chopped dried apple
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup diced walnuts
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
Raw sugar, for sprinkling
walnut pieces, for sprinkling
.
.
.
.
Bake 20 minutes or until browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
These muffins are the ones that got the closest to those from Phil’s past. I have no doubt that the larger size helped a lot, so getting the jumbo size muffin pan was a great move by Sally.
The topping adds a lot to these muffins, but I loved everything about them, from taste to texture. What can I say? I think I’ve been assimilated.
“I don’t always eat breakfast, but when I do, I prefer a bran muffin”.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
ONE YEAR AGO: Jammin’ Blueberry Sour Milk Pancakes
TWO YEARS AGO: Scallops with Black Pasta in Orange Cream Sauce
THREE YEARS AGO: Stir-fried Chicken with Creamed Corn
FOUR YEARS AGO: Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Torpedo
In my best Australian accent – ‘you bewdy!’ I really like bran muffins and I always put apples in them. I’m dying to try these.
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Oh, you are always teasing me with some language stuff, which by now you should know I LOVE! 😉
these were really really delicious, my best version so far! Hope you try it, you bewdy! ;o))))
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I know where to come for the best muffin recipes!! Right here, thanks to you and Phil!! Wow, these are bakery perfect! And, I’m so thrilled with the healthy ingredients. Just in time for a weekend muffin breakfast!
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Actually, you know it’s all thanks to Phil – I had not tried a muffin until age 30 something! 😉
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These look and sound delicious (and healthy!)
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Indeed, these are good on all counts! I am not into healthy food unless it tastes great, and these do! 😉
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LOL! I love the Mr. Interesting Man Alive reference made me giggle today Sally. 🙂
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Between you and me, he is the SECOND most interesting man alive…. you know, I am very partial to my beloved. Halloween 2011 (If I remember correctly) Phil was “the most interesting man” – had the beard and all…. fun times… fun times… 😉
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Now that is a great Halloween costume! 🙂
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Oh, yeah! It was a lot of fun!
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Bran is something else I’ve never cooked with although it has always sounded so ‘healthy’. As long as it tastes good, I’m willing to take healthy as a bonus inducement. 🙂
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Agree with you. I will go for healthy as long as taste is not compromised.
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Oh yes….I will be making these beauties in the morning. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
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Great! I hope you love them too!
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Resistance is futile… 😉
They look delicious Sally, and I’m not even a muffin fan! xx
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Same with me… I am not a muffin fan, or a breakfast person, but these were really good!
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these look so good. just pinned. thanks!
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Thanks for the pin! 😉
hope you have a chance to make them, I actually had a hard time finding dried apples, but now I know where to get them here. Cutting the dried apples was a little tricky, but other than that, a pretty smooth culinary adventure…
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These muffins look like they can heal hearts as well as steal them! Fabulous!
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I hope I got the only heart I’m interested in stealing… 😉
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Such good things in these bran muffins, Sally: cranberries and apples. Yum.
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First time ever using dried apples, it was also not that easy to find,
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I dry my own, Sally, picking up the windfalls in my old neighborhood and trimming them. But Trader Joe’s carries them if you have one near you,
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You’ve stolen my heart….but you already knew that, yes?
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Who, moi? Mais, oui! 😉
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