22 muffins
BREAKFAST
Ina Garten At Home (p. 216)
Unprocessed wheat bran - 2 cups
Molasses - 3⁄4 cups
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
All-purpose flour - 3 cups
Baking powder - 1 1⁄2 tsp
Baking soda - 1⁄2 tsp
Raisins - 2 cups
Walnuts - 1 cup
Bananas - 2
Orange - 1
Buttermilk - 2 cups
Unsalted butter - 1 stick
Eggs - 4
Oranges - zest to yield 2 tsp
Unsalted butter - bring to room temperature
Eggs - bring to room temperature
Buttermilk - shake well
Banana - dice
Walnuts - chop
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
Combine the bran and shaken buttermilk and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or by hand), at high speed for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl and then add the molasses, orange zest, and vanilla. The mixture will look curdled. Add the bran-buttermilk mixture and combine.
In a seprate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1 tsp salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the batter and mix just until combined. Don't overmix. Fold in the raisins, banana cubes and walnuts with a rubber spatula.
With an ice cream scoop or spoons, fill the muffin cups and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pans.