Breakfast - Bran Muffins

So this is one of new favorite recipes!  My friend Jan brought over a dozen bran muffins right after Kinley was born...so sweet, thoughtful, and helpful = ).

I love this recipe because they are yummy, very very filling, and the recipe goes a LONG long way!  You can make adjustments at the end to get all different kinds of bran muffins...but more on that later.

Thanks Jan for sharing such a great recipe!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups Fiber One cereal
• 2/3 cup oil
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs (beaten)
• 1 qt low fat buttermilk
• 4 cups wheat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 5 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups All-Bran

Directions:
Step 1: Mix the first 2 ingredients together and set aside

Yes...it looks a little gross

Step 2: In a separate bowl (and I recommend a VERY large bowl...literally I use my salad spinner bowl because it's the biggest thing I can find!) mix all the remaining ingredients together:

The applesauce and oil...if you don't have applesauce, you can just to 1 cup of oil, or I bet you could adjust and do all applesauce too.  This combo has worked well for me.

Next comes the sugar.  Again you can do all regular white sugar if you like.  Just adjust it to 3 cups of white sugar if you do that.

Then the beaten eggs

And buttermilk

(I'm pretty proud of myself for pouring the buttermilk while taking this picture)

Pretty good huh?! = )

Next add in the flour, baking soda and salt - you need 5 cups of flour total, this is another case where you can adjust what combination you like.  The batter gets really REALLY thick here, so get ready for a little arm workout...

Next add the All-Bran 

Doesn't it look like a small mountain?!

Last step is to add in the Fiber One/water mixture.
Get ready this looks pretty gross, but I promise it makes for some very yummy muffins!

...Maybe I should have left that picture out?!...

Once you've got the batter all mixed up, cover it and refrigerate overnight.  Don't cut corners here, do the prep work the night before and you'll be glad in the morning.

Goodnight = )

Good morning!

Ready to bake some muffins?!  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees and be sure to grease your muffin tins.

Get ready for a serious amount of muffins!  I'm able to make 4 dozen LARGE muffins with this recipe!

To keep it interesting, I like to take out some batter into a smaller bowl, add in the extra's and make separate batches of different flavors.

Here's a batch with cinnamon (I add about a teaspoon per dozen muffins)

Here are some other great "add-ins":

Banana, cinnamon, and pecans

Apple & Cinnamon

Carrots, Cinnamon, and Walnuts

Blueberry

These muffins freeze really well.  Just pop them in the microwave for 30-45 seconds each and you've got a delicious healthy and filling breakfast.  We stock our freezer and have muffins for a month!

Enjoy!