BRAN MUFFINS

pictured: Refrigerator Bran Muffins

Here are two excellent, but very different recipes. The first batch are light in color with a delicate, nutty flavor. The second are darker, and bolder in taste and texture. They are both delicious, and share one thing in common. The batter will keep for up to a month in the refrigerator. So you can easily and quickly make muffins whenever the urge strikes!



GOLDEN BRAN MUFFINS

2 cps boiling Water
5 tsp Baking Soda
1 cp Butter (I use butter flavor Crisco)
2 cps Sugar
4 Eggs
4 cps All Bran
2 cps Bran Flakes
5 cps Flour
1 qt Buttermilk


Dissolve Soda in boiling Water, set aside to cool. In a very large mixing bowl, cream together Butter, Sugar, and Eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients by hand, adding Soda Water last.

Fill greased muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake at 375F for 25 to 35 minute, depending on size of muffins. Recipe makes 5 - 6 dozen muffins. Unused batter will store in refrigerator for up to a month.
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REFRIGERATOR BRAN MUFFINS

2 cps Flaked Bran (not cereal)
1 cp boiling Water
1/2 cup softened Butter (again, I use butter flavored Crisco)
1/2 cp dark Molasses
1/2 cp Sugar
2 Eggs
2 cps Buttermilk
2 cps All Bran
1 1/3 cps Whole Wheat Flour
1 cp unbleached Flour (or regular enriched Flour)
2 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 375F. Combine Flaked Bran and boiling Water in a large bowl, and let sit about 15 min. Meanwhile, cream together Butter, Molasses, and Sugar. Beat in Eggs, and add to Flaked Bran. Add Buttermilk and All Bran, stir to mix well. Sift together Flours, Soda, and Salt and add to mixture; stir until blended. Spoon into well greased muffin tins and bake about 20 min., or store in refrigerator, covered. Makes 2 to 2 1/2 dozen Muffins.

ROASTED BRISKET OF BEEF

Way back in the day, when Barb and Mark were kids (yeah, WAY back in the day), and Texas style BBQ was popular in, well, Texas, brisket was about the cheapest cut of beef you could buy. My mom found this recipe in the Pontiac Press, and, always looking for an inexpensive way to feed two very large appetites (my dad and me), decided to try it. Not only did it become an immediate family favorite, but for many years, it was the staple of church dinners.

Unfortunately, the growth of Texas BBQ has caused the price of brisket to soar, and it is no longer economical to serve as a church dinner staple. But it is still the single most demanded item for family dinners in my clan. This recipe is tremendously easy, very hard to screw up, and absolutely delicious. It works particularly well in an electric roaster, but does just fine in the oven as well!

ROAST BEEF BRISKET

wide roll Heavy Duty Aluminum foil
1 whole Brisket (NOT corned)
1 box (2 packets) Lipton's Onion Soup Mix

Place brisket fat side down on a double sheet of hd foil large enough to tightly wrap meat in. Spread two packets of onion soup mix across the top of the meat. Wrap tightly and place in roaster. Bake at 350 for 2 hours. Turn heat down to 325 and bake another 2 hours. Turn heat on roaster down to warm.* VERY carefully open foil package. Remove roast to cutting board, and pour liquid from the foil packet into the roaster. With an electric knife, slice meat across the grain in 1/4" slices and add to roaster. Spoon liquid over top of beef.

Any leftovers you might have (and around here that is rare) are wonderful heated and served over toast, or on a good hoagie roll!

* If you are baking in the oven, there are a couple of things you can do to keep the au jus and beef slices warm. If you have an electric griddle, place it on the table, thermostat on warm, and place roaster on top. Or you can transfer the liquid to your electric skillet, set on warm, and add slices to that. I prefer the former because it is one less pan to clean.

posted by mark