Cranberry-bran muffins

When hosting guests overnight at Christmas it's always a good idea to have some muffins at the ready for early risers. Before I go to bed I put the muffin containers on the counter and set the coffee pot so that I just have to push the button when I get up. This way Grandma gets her coffee hit and the grandkids don't have to eat dry Honeycombs until the real breakfast is served. I don't cook breakfast (hubby does) and when that bacon fat starts flying - I'm outta there! It's about that time that I decide that the bed needs to be made and I need a shower . . . I hate bacon fat . . . love bacon, just hate cooking it and hate smelling like it . . . So, having some homemade muffins makes my disappearing act a little less guilt-ridden.

Cranberry-Bran Muffins

moist and satisfying, and because we don't get enough sugar and fat at Christmas I dip the tops in melted butter and then sugar and cinnamon . . .

I like to have my 'ducks in a row' when I'm baking - learned that in "Home Economics" (ahem) many years ago

see this baby? a surprise from hubby about a month ago - out of the blue (well, I did grumble a bit about my old mixer that I'd had for over 30 years . . .)

love my mixer, and my hubby :)

Cranberry-Bran Muffins
PREP 25 MIN | TOTAL 50 MIN

4 cups flour
3 cups wheat bran
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp each of baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice

5 eggs
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cups vegetable oil
1/3 cup molasses
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

300g pkg frozen cranberries
3/4 cup raisins

PREHEAT oven to 375F. Combine flour, bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a large bowl. Whisk eggs lightly then add buttermilk, sugar, oil, molasses and vanilla, whisk lightly again. Add flour mixture and stir until just mixed - do not overmix. Stir in cranberries and raisins to evenly distribute.

FILL 24 (or more) muffin cups to the rim (I always use paper liners - just so much easier to get out of the pan).

BAKE until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 15 - 20 minutes. Watch them closely and rotate and alternate muffin tins on racks (mine got a little too brown on the bottoms because I didn't rotate them).

Remove from pans and place on cooling racks. If you like, melt some butter, dip each muffin in it and then in a sugar cinnamon mix - yumminess!

NOTES: I used fresh cranberries, chopped

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