The best bran muffins
12 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 1¼ | cup | All-purpose flour; bleached |
| ¼ | cup | Whole wheat flour |
| 1¼ | teaspoon | Baking powder |
| ½ | teaspoon | Baking soda |
| ¾ | teaspoon | Salt |
| 1¼ | teaspoon | Ground cinnamon |
| ¾ | teaspoon | Ground allspice |
| ½ | teaspoon | Ground nutmeg; freshly ground |
| 7 | tablespoons | Unsalted butter; softened |
| ½ | cup | Dark brown sugar; plus |
| 2 | tablespoons | Dark brown sugar |
| 2 | larges | Eggs |
| 2½ | teaspoon | Vanilla extract |
| 3 | tablespoons | Molasses; unsulphured |
| ¼ | cup | Sour cream |
| 1 | cup | Lowfat buttermilk; plus |
| 3 | tablespoons | Lowfat buttermilk |
| 1½ | cup | Wheat bran |
| 1 | cup | Raisins |
Directions
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour through nutmeg in medium bowl; set aside.
Beat butter in large bowl of electric mixer or with handheld mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add brown sugar, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until combined and fluffy, about 1 minute longer. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly before adding the next. Beat in vanilla, molasses, and sour cream until thoroughly combined and creamy, about 1 minute longer. Reduce speed to low; beat in buttermilk and half the flour mixture until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in remaining flour mixture until incorporated and slightly curdled looking, about 1 minute longer, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Stir in bran and raisins.
Spray a twelve mold muffin tin (each mold measuring ½ cup) or a six mold muffin tin (each mold measuring one cup) with cooking spray or coat lightly with butter; divide batter evenly among molds using spoon or ice cream scoop. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center withdraws cleanly or with a few moist particles adhering to it, about 25 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and serve warm.
Cook's Notes: Wheat bran is available at health foods stores or in boxes, labeled Quaker Unprocessed Bran, in supermarkets.
Formatted to MasterCook on 2/7/98 by TSL. Tested, too!!! Recipe by: Lisa Yockelson in Cook's Illustrated, Jan./Feb. 1998 Posted to recipelu-digest by Badams <adamsfmle@...> on Feb 25, 1998