When my children were young and I worked part-time, I was an obsessive baker. My favorite muffin recipes included hard-to-find whole grains, layers of fruit fillings and spicy crumb toppings.
All that healthy deliciousness exacted a toll: It meant advance-planned grocery shopping for spelt, teff and organic raspberries. Either that or strapping three under-age-6 children into car seats and boosters and trekking store to store.
But back then I had time for unhurried shopping and food preparation.
Today? Suffice it to say I’m typing this post at 5:00 am—during my “free” hours of the day.
So I save the time-consuming, multi-step baked goods for weekends. For weekday breakfasts, snacks and dinners, I rely on fast, easy-to-make muffins. These Quick Oat Bran Raisin Muffins can be mixed, baked, and headed for your table in less 20 minutes.
Split warm from the oven and spread with sweet butter, these grainy muffins are no less tasty for their convenience.
Quick Oat Bran Raisin Muffin Recipe
2 cups oat bran
2 cups unbleached flour
½-¾ cup Demerara or other sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ¾ cups milk
1 cup raisins
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon safflower or other mild polyunsaturated oil
1 egg
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Using 1 tablespoon oil, grease muffin tins.
- In a medium-sized bowl—or in a large Pyrex measuring cup—mix the oat bran, flour, sugar, salt and baking soda, blending well with a whisk. Note: Oat bran’s sweet graininess allows you to use a lighter hand with sugar—adjust to taste.
- In another medium bowl or measuring cup, beat the egg, then blend in milk, raisins and oil.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and blend with a few swift strokes. Do not over beat—it’s fine if a little flour remains unblended.
- Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling them ¾ full.
- Bake muffins for 15-17 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool slightly before running a knife around the muffin sides and removing from pan.
Makes 12-16 muffins.
