Apple Bran Muffins

Whenever we buy apples, I always want to make something fancy with them.  I usually end up just taking them for lunch, but I’ll keep my grand aspirations, thank you!  So after being sad that we didn’t get apples from our local grocery store (they usually have crappy produce), I moped around my refridgerator until the applesauce caught my eye.  The following recipe calls for applesauce and apples, but only having applesauce, I decided to experiment.

Yield: 12 muffins.

Ingredients (adapted from Cooking Light):

• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 3/4 cup fat-free milk
• 1/3 cup applesauce (no sugar added)
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 1/2 cups bran buds cereal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Place 12 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups; set aside.
3. Combine brown sugar and butter in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
4. Add egg; beat 1 minute or until well blended. Beat in egg white until well blended.
5. Add milk, applesauce, molasses, and vanilla extract; beat on low speed until well blended.
6. Combine flour, bran, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
7. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
8. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.
9. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.

I ended up substituting some of the ingredients from the original recipe, only because I didn’t have them in the house.  For the applesauce, I didn’t have unsweetened, as per the original recipe, so it was probably a bit sweeter than normal.  I also added a slop of applesauce to account for the apples I didn’t have.  The original recipe did not call for bread flour, but I like the texture it gives to all baked things and I like to make a lot of bread.  Needless to say, I don’t keep regular flour around so all my baked treats are made with bread flour.

I ended up liking these more than my husband did.  Before the days of Pinterest, I would make plain bran muffins (as per the bran cereal box) and he thought the apple bran variety was not as flavorful.  I would agree, the flavor was not as strong, but the apple and spices taste really came through and reminded me of apple and cinnamon oatmeal.  Maybe I’ll make these with oats next time.  Delicious!

Also, it was St. Patrick’s day. + 10 creativity.