I’m the sort of girl who wakes up early, cheerful and absolutely ravenous! Oddly enough most of my friends can go for half the day without eating, and I’m practically perishing by the time they’re even thinking of food. I love them dearly but for sheer survival I’ve learned to carry nuts and dried fruit with me when visiting any of them. 🙂
Thankfully I have a few pals who like to eat before noon, and Betsy is one of them. Few things make her happier than waking up early and going out for breakfast with her hubby and friends. Whenever I visit I’m delighted to join in, and have feasted on many a Dutch Baby, Coconut Pancake, and sausage link with relish and abandon.
Most days though, I like to eat hearty and healthy at home. I usually start with a fresh squeezed juice of some kind. This morning it was ruby red grapefruit.
I like to serve it in a pretty glass, just because it makes it a little bit special.
This week I was craving muffins. Not sugary or chocolaty, but moist and grainy with lots of flavor and tender crumb. I found a marvelous recipe on the back of Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Bran.
Sweetened only with molasses and applesauce and using a scant 2 Tbsp of oil, they are low in bad fats and sugars. Thankfully they are not only healthy but delicious! Tender, moist and flavorful, they are easy to make, a snap to freeze, and reheat beautifully.
The only deviations I made from the recipe were to grind up the nuts (I don’t care for chunks) and use coconut milk instead of regular milk. I’ve been using coconut milk as a substitute in more and more of my baking recipes, and the results have been consistently wonderful.
I like them best sandwiched with peanut butter and creamed honey, served with simple scrambled eggs.
Moist Molasses Bran Muffins
(From Bob’s Red Mill)
Ingredients:
1 cup Wheat Bran
1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Raisins (Unsulfured)
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 cup Milk (I used coconut milk)
1/2 cup Molasses (or Honey)
3/4 cup Applesauce
1/4 cup chopped Nuts
2 Tbsp. Oil
2 Eggs, beaten
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Combine wheat bran, flour, baking soda and baking powder.
Stir in nuts and raisins.
In a separate bowl, blend applesauce, milk, molasses, oil and egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
Spoon into greased muffin tin (or paper muffin cups) and bake for 15-20 minutes. Makes 12 marvelous muffins.