It tasted so goooooood

When I worked at the world headquarters for a Fortune 500 company many moons ago, they used to staff their own kitchens with their own workers who made homemade delights five days a week.  Oh, they had a TO-DIE-FOR walnut cake that was out of this world.  Their homemade soups were stupendous.  And they also made all their own muffins.

Mind you, when I'd leave the building on any given night, the air would smell heavenly -- just like a bran muffin.  It was actually the brewery across the river, but it smelled like breakfast to me.
And what did I love most at breakfast time?  Their marvelous bran muffins with raisins.  Several times a week I'd buy a bran muffin for my morning meal and hope that the guy in the with the gray eyes would be up at the cafeteria taking a coffee break so I could wave to him.  (Yeah, I ended up marrying the big lug.)

Fast forward way too many years.  The company went down the toilet, and long ago let go all their kitchen staff, and the company that took over the eats tossed out all the old favorite recipes.  The food wasn't as good, and the company ... well, let's just say the stock options I have are worth dog poop.

But I remember those muffins.  And I recently bought a bag of bran flour in hopes of recreating them.

My first attempt was not satisfactory.  I think my oven runs a little hot.  But they also weren't sweet enough.  I got the recipe from a 1930s cookbook.  "Hmmm," says I, "I'll find a better recipe on the Internet."  But most of them wanted to use bran cereal, not the real flour.  I wasn't as good a detective as my aunt, and she DID find me a great recipe.  Of course, I couldn't just make it as it.  I messed with it because it didn't seem sweet enough. I solved that by doubling the amount of raisins.  They are just perfect for breakfast or a mid-day snack.

INGREDIENTS
    * 1 Cup Bran Flour
    * 1 Cup White Flour
    * 4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
    * 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
    * 1 Cup of Whole Milk
    * 1/2 Cup Molasses or Corn Syrup
    * 1 Egg (well beaten)
    * 1 Tablespoon Melted Butter
    * 1/2 Cup Raisins  (I use a full cup of raisins)
    * Crisco Shortening or Paper Muffin Liners

Step 1:  Grease and lightly flour your muffin tins or use paper liners and Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together the 1 Cup White Flour, the 4 Teaspoons of of Baking Powder and the 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt.
Step 3:  Slowly add the 1 Cup of Bran Flour and mix together thoroughly.
Step 4:  Add in the 1/2 Cup of Molasses or Corn Syrup, the 1 Cup of Whole Milk, the Egg, Well Beaten and mix well.
Step 5:  Mix in the 1 Tablespoon of Melted Butter.
Step 6:  Fold in the Raisins.
Step 7:  Pour into muffin tins until approximately 3/4 full.
Step 8:  Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Step 9:  Cool completely on baking rack before storing.
Makes 12 muffins


Is there something you long for that you wish you could have again?