Fruit and Vegetable Bran Muffins or Loaf

After having an inspired conversation with Viv at Cornucopia, our local organics shop, a while back- about how her grandkids were happily eating loaf stuffed full of veggies, I decided I would have a go at making bran muffins with loads of both fruit & veggies in them to see if they really were that yummy. Well it turns out that they really are both filling & delicious & can be made in to either muffins or a loaf. 

The mix is brilliantly free-form so just use whatever is to hand. So far I have incorporated, grated carrots, parsnip, courgette, choko, apple, pear & banana. Almost any kind of dried fruit would be useful too & nuts like walnuts if you have them. 

In a large bowl add:

1/2 cup bran

1/2 brown sugar (demarara, coconut or other)

100 grams of chopped butter

A pinch of salt. A tsp each of cinnamon & ginger to taste.

A tsp vanilla essence

2 cups of dried fruit- dates (definitely) raisins, sultanas,  dried apricots, prunes etc

Pour over a cup full of boiling water stir & leave to sit until just warm & well soaked together.

Add an egg & a large tbsp of plain yoghurt 

Add 1/2- 1 cup of nuts- walnuts etc

2 cups of grated fruits & vegetables such as apple, pear, carrot, parsnip, beetroot, choko or courgette.

Add a mashed ripe banana

Stir altogether & then sift in 1- 1/2 cups of wholemeal flour & 2 tsps baking powder. Just see how the mix is looking. You may not need all the flour.

Gently fold the flour through the mix.

Spoon in to large muffin tins or a greased/lined loaf tin.

Bake for 20-30 mins at 180 degrees C until firm & a nice colour.

I guarantee no one will ever guess there's all those veggies in there!

Katie x

Bran Muffins

Time to write up the bran muffins! 

I found some lovely organic wheat bran in Cornucopia this week and it made the best muffins. I also came across sunflower seed flour. They're nourishing things sunflowers so I added this flour in to the mix too. 

 It's nice to let these things soak for a bit- they digest better & the texture of the muffins is much more moist.
So I mixed: 1 cup of bran (oat or wheat) & 1/2 sunflower seed flour.
Use whatever else you like for this 1/2 cupful- more bran perhaps or oatmeal.
Add a large tbsp of honey, some cinnamon & ground ginger & a pinch of salt.
Then 1 cup chopped dried apricots & 1/2 C sultanas or raisins or dates.
Mix in 1 & 1/2 cups of milk (or buttermilk- just squeeze some lemon juice in to the milk & let it stand for 5 minutes), an egg & a tsp vanilla essence.
Cover & stand for an hour or even overnight.
Once it's all nicely plumped up add 60 grams of melted butter & a 1/2 cup of thick natural yoghurt.
Lastly fold through a cupful of wholemeal flour & 2 tsps of baking powder.
Spoon in to greased muffin tins & bake at 210 C for 15 minutes, check on them, turn down the heat a bit & bake another 5minutes or so until nicely brown & cooked.
Makes 6 large muffins.
This batch was so delicious slathered with butter & Medlar "cheese"/jam.

Katie X