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With the Blanquette de Veau on the menu this past Sunday evening, I wanted to start the day with something a little more friendly to the heart and waistline. I am sure many of you would like to enjoy the health benefits of a bran muffin, but are scarred by biting into a dense, dry and flat tasting baked good. This recipe will help heal those wounds and will have you looking at date bran muffins in a whole new light.
Upon first look at the recipe, you’ll notice that there are several different types of wheat products. There is your everyday all-purpose flour, some whole wheat pastry flour, wheat bran, and wheat germ. Avoid using regular whole wheat flour in lieu of the whole wheat pastry flour. That would be one of the culprits of that dry and dense muffin syndrome. Sweetness comes from the addition of a little light brown sugar, orange juice concentrate (do not dilute), and the dried dates. I like to process the dates in the food processor with the other dry ingredients so there are little specks of dates throughout each muffin and not big chunks. It really adds to the taste and texture. A pleasant tang from some buttermilk and a little spice from cinnamon and vanilla help to provide a healthy and satisfying start to the day. Well, that is if you don’t slather on a good schmear of honey butter. Now why would you want to do a thing like that☺??
Date Bran Muffins with Honey Butter
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup raw wheat bran
- ¼ cup wheat germ, lightly toasted in a skillet
- 6 ounces dried pitted dates, roughly chopped
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup neutral oil, like Safflower oil
- 1 ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- ½ cup orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease or line 2 (12-cup) standard muffin pans with paper liners; set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flours, wheat bran, wheat germ, and dates. Pulse until the dates are finely minced. Add the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, and pulse to combine; transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- In separate medium bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, orange concentrate, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry; stirring just until moistened. The batter should be airy.)
- Divide the batter into the prepared muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are springy and dry. Remove from the oven and let the muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins to a rack and let cool for another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with honey butter. Enjoy!
Notes
1/2 cup (4-ounces) honey butter, softened
1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients until smooth; set aside or refrigerate until ready to use. Butter can be frozen for up to 6 months. Storage: Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or individually wrapped in plastic, placed in a freezer-safe bag, and frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Everything from this blog is SO good… everything! Even these bran muffins for goodness sake! Loved the idea of mincing up the dates so they are scattered throughout the muffin. My husband & kids even loved them 🙂