Amish Bran Muffins in July

July means swimming in the pond,

 which in turn, means the fence is bedecked continually with swim gear.

July also brings breakfast on the porch, usually with granola or muffins. 

 Our favorite muffin recipe comes from an Amish cookbook,

 but we have tweaked it just a tad, so I will share it here. 

 I hope you try them, they are really outstanding. 

 Don't let the title "BRAN MUFFIN" deceive you! 

 These moist, flavorful muffins make a huge amount of dough that can stay in the frig for weeks.

                  I love that aspect, since then it is sooo easy to make a quick breakfast in the morning.

I also favor this recipe because it is a large enough batch to make a dozen Texas size muffins

 and still have dough for another baking in a week.

If ya all don't have a Texas size muffin pan, you need to get one-- or two.

  It is that special touch that takes a muffin from "good" to spectacular. 

 Trust me.  Buy one.

I have to tell you a funny story about this particular batch of baking:

So there I was, (all good stories start that way) 

 scuttling around in the kitchen, 

thinking too many things at once while making the muffins,

 when I smelled something very, very odd. 

I  stood there for what seemed like a loooong time trying to figure out what that smell was!

Finally, my brain kicked in and I realized that I had preheated my gas oven 

with mint from the garden drying inside!

  Dear me!

  I then had well dried, nearly burnt, mint.

(chuckle, can't believe I am really sharing this.)

Then that song goes off in my head, you know..."The old gray mare........

Anyway, you see, my oven has a pilot light on all the time,

 so it is an ideal place to dry herbs or veggies overnight.  

This we do often in summer when produce is abundant.

We usually have a slip of paper reminding us that there is something in there, 

since it  has happened before. 

 I had not reminded myself of the mint with the usual paper,

So  that morning our kitchen smelled loudly of baked mint and fresh muffins.

Some people should not bake before 8 am or at least two cups of coffee!!

Back to the muffins in progress.....

Our secret ingredient is adding fresh picked huckleberries to the muffins.

  We have huckleberry bushes right here on our property, ( O glory!) but since most folks probably don't, 

I will say that raspberries or blueberries would also be great.

  However, even without the berries, these are still marvelous muffins.

 Now for that recipe:

5 cups flour
5 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
2 tsp allspice
15 oz. oat bran (about 2 cups)
3 cups sugar (I use less)
4 eggs
1 cup veg. or olive oil
1 quart buttermilk or regular milk plus 2 T. lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla

Mix well.  Use immediately or store in a sealed container for up to 6 weeks.
When ready to bake, without stirring, dip batter out to fill  a well greased muffin pan.
Then add a scattering of berries on top of each muffin- they will sink when baking.
Bake at 375, cook for 20 minutes or until the tops spring bake upon touching.

Here's to breakfast on the porch with birdsong serenading you, and yummy muffins with your coffee!

If you try the muffins, be sure to let me know!

Blessings,

Julianne