Cooking From Quilt Country: Six Week Bran Muffins

Six Week Bran Muffins have been around for a while-- I've seen lots of recipes floating around the internet, most of them exact replicas of the one I first came across in Cooking from Quilt Country, by Marcia Adams, a collection of Amish and Mennonite recipes. My Mom gave that cookbook to me one Christmas (fifteen years ago?) when I was in the midst of making my own interpretation of an Amish quilt.

Cooking from Quilt Country is my go-to book for comfort food. Not for those of you watching calories (or carbs or fat), it's full of old recipes like Buttermilk Pie, Burnt Sugar Cake, Dandelion Greens with Hot Bacon Dressing, Oven Fried Chicken, Homemade Grape Nuts, Hot Cabbage Salad and Custard Cornbread (it forms a custard on top and there really is no going back once you've had that cornbread!). There is a recipe for Cinnamon Butter Sauce that reminds me of a simple little Nutmeg Sauce my grandmother used to whip up and then spoon hot onto her apple pie.

But back to the muffins! Six Week Bran Muffins have been a favorite of mine for years. Not only are they chewy, mellow and wholesome-tasting, but they make me look like some sort of Kitchen Goddess because I can produce a batch at a moment's notice (assuming I've got the batter in the refrigerator). Trust me on this. Make the batter. Store it in your refrigerator and then invite some friends over for tea or coffee. Wow them with hot muffins.

Six Week Whole Bran Muffins
adapted from Cooking from Quilt Country, by Marcia Adams
makes about 42 - 48 muffins

The original recipe calls for a box of bran flakes with raisins and whole buttermilk. In an attempt to make these healthier I use whole bran cereal and low fat buttermilk.

(I've also had a fair amount of success with replacing the one cup of oil with 3/4 cup of applesauce and 1/4 cup oil, and substituting some of the white flour with whole wheat, though my family and I prefer them as written here.)

5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground allspice
15 oz. whole bran cereal
1 cup golden raisins
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup oil
1 quart low fat buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Using the largest bowl you have, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and allspice. Add the bran cereal, raisins and sugar and mix.

In another bowl beat the eggs and add the oil, buttermilk and vanilla, whisking until smooth.

Pour the egg mixture over the flour and bran mixture and stir well.

Transfer the batter to a large container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to make muffins. This batter will keep for six weeks.

When you're ready to bake, do not stir the batter again.

To make muffins, preheat the oven to 375 F. Scoop about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of batter for each muffin into paper-lined muffin tins. Bake about 20 minutes or until the tops spring back when you touch them. 

Comments

[Ann Cook]

Not many people remember that book or the follow up Marcia did, so it's nice to see fellow fans.

The people back home still remember her coming around and in certain shops it's a very popular gift to sell to tourists, especially around Bird in Hand, last I checked.

[Julie]

Oh, I love muffins, especially fresh, hot muffins! I make mini muffins and store them in the freezer for grab-and-go breakfasts and snacks. These would work beautifully for that!

[Manggy]

It's so amusing when some cookbooks ask for specific packaged products. (the one that makes me craziest: "chili paste with garlic." Do they even know how many different Asian countries make how many different brands of different varieties of chili paste?) We can add our own raisins, y'know? If they rise just as well after a month, that is some excellent kitchen wizardry!

[Karyn]

Bran muffins are my favorite. I prefer them to cupcakes.

When you say "cereal," what do you mean? Something like All-Bran, bran flakes, or the whole bran flakes you can buy at health food stores? I'm asking because my childhood go-to recipe calls for All-Bran, and I don't want my home baked goods to include HFCS.

Thanks!

[Ann]

Karyn, I get whole bran flakes at the health food store or the 365 label oat bran flakes at Whole Foods.

[Pieds Des Anges (Kyla)]

But why are they called 6 week bran muffins? Do they last that long?

[Ann]

Kyla, the batter does. The muffins last about fifteen minutes. :-)

[Susan]

Batter that last six weeks? I'm feeding extended family for Xmas through January 1. This would be one less breakfast recipe I have to worry about. They sound and look fabulous. Thanks!

[CookiePie]

WOW - these look fantastic, and I love the convenience factor! Oh yeah, I will be trying these for sure...

[Zenchef]

Perfect!
I love this kind of batter you can keep in your fridge for weeks, and bake at a moments notice. Believe me, private chefs rely on life-jackets recipes, that's a keeper!

[Pasticciera]

My Mom used to keep this around too for those surprise drop in guests and she always made a great impression on her guests too, the main ones being us kids. What a treat to have fresh muffins regularly. I'm going to have to try this version, as I don't think that recipe made the move with me. This will come in handy.

[Ann]

Susan, it's a real boon over the holidays in particular!

cookiepie, try it and you'll be converted! :-)

Zenchef, I'm a fan of all sneaky time-saving kitchen secrets!

Pasticciera, so glad to have posted a recipe close to one you remember... let me know how it turns out.