MAPLE-BRAN MUFFINS

 I made these muffins Sunday afternoon while I was watching the Kansas City Chiefs played in the snow in Denver with the Denver Broncos. It was good to watch them win by a couple of touchdowns. I wouldn't have gotten the muffins made if it had been a close game.

When Wayne got up yesterday morning he said we had some snow on the ground. I had been listening to cars go up and down the road behind us so I knew it couldn't be too bad outside. That meant I could take the muffins to Hillcrest Thrift Shop for the volunteers and didn't have to pass the muffins out to neighbors. (I'm sure the neighbors would have liked them. They are the best bran muffins I have ever eaten.)

I used the last of the maple syrup we had gotten from my aunt in Vermont when we visited a couple of years ago from her uncle who makes and sells it from his own maple trees.  The only change I made to the original recipe that came from a Good Housekeeping April 1989 magazine was I used light sour cream. 

They were a big hit at the thrift shop. There was only one left after my two hours of cleaning.

MAPLE-BRAN MUFFINS

3/4     cup maple syrup

2        eggs

2-1/2  cups bran flakes, crushed

1        8 - ounce container sour cream (1 cup) (I used light sour cream) 

1        cup flour

1/2     cup walnuts, chopped

1        teaspoon baking soda

About 30 minutes before serving or early in day:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease of spray twelve-cup muffin pan. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the maple syrup and eggs until blended.

Beat in crushed bran flakes; let stand 5 minutes.

Beat in sour cream until well mixed.

With spoon, stir in flour, walnuts, and baking soda just until flour is moistened

(batter will be lumpy)

Spoon batter into muffin-pan cups. (I used my ice cream scoop so they would all be uniform in size.)

Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (I press lightly on top of a muffin.) Immediately remove muffins from pan, reheat if desired. (I ran a knife around the inside edges of the cups to loosen the muffins.) 

I managed to get 14 muffins instead of 12 which meant I had a few extras to enjoy at home.

This was my view from our front window. The poor maple trees in our front yard still have many green leaves on them. This is the third straight October that we have had snow in October.

That's a dogwood in the lower right corner.