Blueberry Bran Muffins Tested Recipe

Blueberry Bran Muffins

If you are trying to eat healthier, adding more fiber to your diet and reducing total fat is a good place to start. These moist and flavorful Blueberry Bran Muffins do both of these things, as they contain whole wheat flour and bran and to reduce the fat we add just two tablespoons of canola oil. This excellent recipe is adapted from Bonnie Stern's "More Heart Smart Cooking with Bonnie Stern" which is written in conjunction with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

Although we could use just whole wheat flour in these Blueberry Bran Muffins, this recipe combines whole wheat and white all purpose, which gives the muffins a lighter texture with more rise than if we had used just whole wheat flour. These bran muffins also differ from most in that we are using unprocessed wheat bran instead of a commercially made bran cereal. I do this because unprocessed wheat bran is so much cheaper than commercial bran cereals and it is now readily available in most grocery stores (often in the organic food section) or else in health food stores.

Normally, when you bite into a bran muffin you find raisins. Bonnie Stern made a nice change by adding blueberries. Blueberries are what we now call a 'super' food. Leanne Kitchen in "The Produce Bible" tells us these sweet deep indigo blue berries contain "cholesterol lowering compounds, antioxidants, Vitamin C, potassium, folate, and dietary fiber. It is even thought that their consumption can have anti-aging effects." In this recipe you can use either fresh or frozen blueberries. If using fresh, look for blueberries that are firm, plump, fragrant, and are covered with a dusty white bloom. The white bloom is the blueberry's natural protection against the sun and is a sign of freshness. And be sure to check the underside of the container for any wet spots or staining. If using frozen, do not thaw before adding them to the batter. Fold the blueberries gently into the batter so they do not crush and end up staining the whole batter blue.


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Blueberry Bran Muffins: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or else spray with a nonstick vegetable spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the flours, wheat bran, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.

In another bowl whisk together the lightly beaten egg white, molasses, vanilla extract, oil, and buttermilk.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir just until moistened. Gently stir in the berries, making sure not to crush them.

Fill the muffin cups, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop, about 3/4 full. If you like, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with rolled oats. Bake about 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Makes about 12 - 14 standard-sized muffins.

References:

Kitchen, Leanne. 'the produce bible'. Stewart, Tabori & Chang. New York: 2007.

Stern, Bonnie. 'More Heart Smart Cooking with Bonnie Stern'. Random House of Canada, Limited. Toronto: 1997.

Blueberry Bran Muffins:

1 cup (130 grams) all purpose flour

1/3 cup (45 grams) whole wheat flour

3/4 cup (50 grams) wheat bran

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 grams) light brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1/4 cup (60 ml) unsulphured molasses

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen berries, do not thaw)