Bran Muffins

I got this recipe from my good friend, Anona. I like it because all the ingredients are pantry staples at my house. Bran flakes are one of my regular breakfast cereals, so I always have a half box to spare. This recipe can be doubled; in fact, that is how I originally received it. But I have always cut it in half (like it’s posted here) because 2 dozen is just right for me.
You can use all white flour or up to half wheat flour (1 ¼ c. wheat and 1 ¼ c. white). If you are in a bind, you can use sour milk instead of buttermilk (1 T. lemon juice plus enough milk to make 1 cup), yogurt diluted with a little water, or just regular milk. I’ve never tried any of those; I always have buttermilk on-hand. Also, the original recipe said that the batter can be left in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I personally would recommend that you use it within 3 days. In fact, I think these are best when they are baked right after mixing. When I bake half the batter the next day I don’t think they have quite the same texture… But for what it’s worth – you can keep the batter in the fridge for awhile if you need to! Hope you enjoy these healthy and yummy muffins! Thanks again, Anona!
*Update - I just saw that my sister, Melanie, was about to post this exact same recipe! Great minds think alike- or rather, great tastes think alike. :) What can I say, my sister has impecable taste. :)

Bran Muffins
submitted by Erin

2 c. white all-purpose flour
½ c. wheat flour
2 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ T. pumpkin pie spice
half of 15-oz box bran flakes cereal
1 ¼ c. sugar
2 eggs
¼ c. oil
¼ c. applesauce or mashed banana
2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Stir all ingredients together and bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.