Berry Bran Muffins (Vegan)

Makes 12 muffins

Recipe from Meatless Monday (Myra Goodman, co-author of Straight from the Earth)

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I had these muffins for the first time when my exercise buddy gave me a couple as a gift.  They are moist, not too dense, just sweet enough, and the bites of juicy berries make them extra special.  You can find all the ingredients at our community-owned grocery store Lost River Market & Deli.

1 cup plain, unsweetened soymilk

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 cups wheat bran

½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 Tablespoon ground flaxseed

¼ cup very hot water (about 180°F)

¾ cup packed light brown sugar (You can reduce the brown sugar to ½ cup if you like.)

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

¼ cup canola oil

1 ¼ cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh blackberries or blueberries

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 350°F. Lightly oil 12 muffin cups or line them with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soymilk and lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken into “buttermilk.” Whisk the mixture and stir in the bran and oats.

In a medium-mixing bowl, combine the flaxseed with the hot water. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens (this is our egg substitute). Whisk the sugar, applesauce, and oil into the flaxseed mixture.

Add this mixture to the bowl with the bran, blending until the batter is combined.

In another medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add this mixture to the batter, stirring just until combined. Do not overmix. Carefully fold in the berries.

Fill each muffin cup with a heaping ⅓ cup of batter. The muffin cups should be full and rounded at the top. Make an effort to divide the berries evenly among the muffins.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the muffins are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into a muffin (avoiding the berries if you can) comes out clean.

Cool the muffins in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn out the muffins and continue to cool them on a wire rack for another 10 minutes before serving.