Bran Breakfast Muffins - So Moist and Full of Flavour ! - FoodBuzz no 2

Ok - so you read the title and almost passed on by. Curiosity got the better of you. BRAN muffins ? How can anything made of bran taste good ?

Well - I remember my grandmother buying bran muffins when I was a little girl. When Gran had those, we'd get a biscuit out the tin. You see, Gran told us those bran muffins were to help her tummy work better - but weren't very nice.

One day when we were visiting, my grandfather gave us 1/2 a bran muffin each whilst my gran was out somewhere. I knew then that she just wanted to keep them for herself - those bran muffins were SO good !

It's been a long long time since I ate a bran muffin. Many years in fact. Yesterday, I picked up some stoneground flour and bran from Letheringsett Watermill and it was a perfect excuse to make some tasty bran muffins.

These bran muffins were absolutely delicious and are packed full of fibre. Oliver had one for breakfast and another late afternoon today. He reckons that these and the chocolate cupcakes  are his all time favourites. Given the way he wolfed these down, I think that's true !

BE WARNED - Bran is an effective and natural laxative effect as does molasses / black treacle, so don't overdose on muffins !?! More than one certainly gets things moving !

RECIPE (makes 10) - EASY

75g wheat bran (normal bran - not breakfast cereal !)

225g wholemeal flour (you can substitute with normal white flour)

1 cup / 250ml  of whole milk

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup of raisins (optional)

1/2 cup of tea (optional)

3tsp baking powder

4 tablespoons black treacle

1/2tsp salt

1 egg

150g soft brown sugar

100ml sunflower or vegetable oil

2tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

1tsp ground ginger (optional)

First, make a cup of black tea ! Soak 1/2 a cup of raisins or sultanas in 1/2 a cup of hot tea for about 20 mins to plump them up.

Heat the oven to 180deg C Fan and line a 12 hole silicone muffin mould or tin with paper cake cases.

You will need two bowls.

In the first bowl, put the bran, milk, lemon juice, oil, egg, sugar and black treacle. Mix well to combine. Drain the tea and add the raisins to this bowl. Set aside for at least 10 minutes

In another bowl, mix the flour, spices, salt, baking powder together. Add the bowl of wet ingredients and stir to combine. Stop as soon as dry ingredients can no longer be seen.

Spoon into your prepared muffin mould or tin. This doesn't rise a lot, so the cases will appear rather full.

Bake for approx 20 minutes until a cocktail stick comes out clean (mine were done in bang on 20mins).

Remove from the oven and brush the tops with some warm honey to glaze.

I know - they don't exactly look exciting....but make them once, and they'll stay in your recipe book forever.

Couldn't resist sharing this photo from earlier this month. I was in the city, and took Oliver into Bella Italia for something to eat. He had chosen cod goujons, then changed his mind and opted for spaghetti and meatballs.

My heart sank as realisation sank in that my child would shortly turn into a tomato sauce covered spaghetti monster..... and that's exactly what happened next.....