Ready to Restart

Andrew texted me about doing some clubbing then turned out to be busy Friday night. Then I didn't feel like going out Saturday night. Still, a nice weekend despite sobriety. *snicker* The hilite outside of the gaming world was muffins.

I love bran muffins though I detest things with baked fruit in them. Every bakery in existence is hell-bent on throwing in raisins or dates in so I have to make my own. Last week I did find a premade mix yet there was the unmistakable fruity aftertaste—cherry I think. So I found a decent recipe and picked up everything I was missing on Saturday night.

Classic Bran Muffins

• 1½ cups wheat bran
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup raisins

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, until just blended. Fold in raisins and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

Got around to making them tonight and they turned out rather well. I was worried that most recipes depend on the fruit to keep things moist so I went a little over on the oil and buttermilk. Have to admit it was also fun baking again. Need to get some bread going. Just have to be cautious. With no one else around to eat this stuff I'll have to take them into work.