Recipe: Pumpkin Bran Muffins

• 2 cups bran cereal*
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 2 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups buttermilk or sour milk**
• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin (or canned pumpkin puree)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine bran cereal, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, raisins, sesame seeds, flaxseed, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a very large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, brown sugar, pumpkin and oil. Gradually fold in bran mixture until well combined. Bake immediately or cover and refridgerate for up to 1 week.

3. Scoop about 1/3 cup batter per muffin into prepared muffin cups.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch and a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to cool completely.

*I put the bran cereal in a food processor to make it a little more fine. Came out great!

**To make sour milk: Combine 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar per 1 cup milk

Yields 24 Muffins

Per Muffin:
Calories: 216
Carbs: 34g
Fat: 8g
Protein: 5

Note: I omitted the raisins and sesame seeds from the muffins and they came out fine. Also, I measured out 1/3 cup per muffin and only ended up making 19 muffins instead of the 24 that the recipe claims to yield. Also, these taste wonderful with just a bit of cream cheese.