Pumpkin Oat Bran Muffins

Wow, I've been doing a great job of blogging :-) I told you guys this wasn't really my thing. I've had a bunch of pictures on the camera that I wanted to blog about, and I don't know how to save them to the computer. That's embarrassing to admit. Scot's been too busy with the yard to help me. I've had a few recipes I wanted to post. I'm always trying new things, but I'm self-aware enough to know that most of them would not interest most people who might read my blog. I received a Vita-Mix blender as a gift and have really been enjoying making new recipes with it. I had oat groats in the pantry, so I used my Vita-Mix to make oat flour in this recipe. Before I've just bought oat bran in the bulk section at Good Earth. I also used up the ends of some boxed cereal (I have no idea what kind it was, but this is a great use for the bottom of the bag of some healthy cereal). I just blended the cereal up in my spice grinder (That was a present from Scot for my birthday. If you know Scot and birthdays - it was a great event!) BTW just freeze any leftover pumpkin. It works great to pull out of the freezer for another batch.




Pumpkin-Oat Bran Muffins Recipe
Adapted from Recipezaar

1 1/2 cups unprocessed oat bran
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup skim milk or buttermilk
2 egg whites or 1 whole egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

EXTRAS:

chocolate chips or
zest of one orange, 1 t.vanilla, and dried craisins

I split the batter in half and did half with chocolate and half with the craisin/orange combo

1. Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. 2. Make a well in center of mixture. 3. Combine pumpkin and next three ingredients; stir well. 4. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. 5. Spoon into muffin pans filled with muffin liners, filling 3/4 full. 6. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 7. Remove from pans immediately; serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE ON MUFFIN LINERS -----If you make any quantity of muffins at all, you need to go to Orson Gygi and buy their bulk paper muffin liners. I buy 500 at a time. Just make sure you bring your muffin tin to see the exact size you need. They sell various sizes of papers.

NOTE ON ORANGE ZEST-----I like to zest a few oranges at a time and freeze the zest in a baggie. Please get a Microplane zester!!!! You'll never live without one again!