Heart Healthy: Oat Bran Muffins The recipe for Millennium Miracle Muffins
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was developed over 17 years by Robert E. Kowalski as part of his 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Program. They are delicious and I have them every morning for breakfast as part of my cholesterol lowering lifestyle. The last thing I feel is deprived! Below Kowalski's basic recipe are some alternatives I've developed for variety. If heart disease or cholesterol are an issue in your life, I highly recommend Robert Kowalski's book The New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure as a resource of indepth information and recommendations for being proactive in your own life.
Preheat Oven: 425 degrees
1 1/4 cup Skim Milk
3 Tbsp. Canola Oil
2 Eggs or 4 oz. egg substitute
1/4 cup Brown Sugar, Honey or Molasses
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
2 1/4 cup Oat Bran Cereal
1/4 cup Chopped Nuts of your choice
1/4 cup Raisins or other dried fruit
In a large bowl, combine milk, eggs and oil. Beat well until combined. Add brown sugar and baking powder. Beat until thoroughly combined. Add oat bran, nuts and raisins. Fold in with spatula. Line muffin pan with paper baking cups. Fill muffin cups with batter and bake for 15-17 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick; it should come out moist but not wet. Makes 12 muffins.
Date-Nut Muffins: 1/4 cup chopped dried dates, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup brown sugar, add 1 tsp. cinnamon, pinch of kosher salt
Carrot Muffins: 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup brown sugar, add 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch of kosher salt, 1/4 cup shredded carrot (I use the tool for shredding carrots over salad - it makes nice thin pieces and I can control how long the strips are.)
Cranberry Muffins: 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup brown sugar, add pinch of kosher salt, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 tsp. orange zest if it's available, substitute 1/4 cup of milk with 1/4 cup of cranberry or orange juice if available..
Sunshine Muffins: 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup raisins, add 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup shredded carrot, pinch of kosher salt
TIPS:
I find allowing the batter to sit for 3-4 minutes absorbs more of the liquids into the oat bran and produces a moister muffin. Wrap these muffins 2 at a time in cling-wrap, store in the refrigerator. They'll keep moist and fresh for at least a week. One recipe gives me 6-8 days worth of breakfast. Leave them wrapped and pop them into the microwave for 15-20 seconds - they're great!Fresh oat bran makes a better muffin. After having trouble finding oat bran cereal in my local stores, I went to the source http://www.hodgsonmill.com By ordering 3 cases (18 boxes) I broke even with the retail price in my area and I now have a several month supply of fresh oat bran. I signed up for their e-newsletter and the next day received a $5 off shipping coupon for orders over $25, that helped, too. I get 3 batches of 12 from 2 boxes of oat bran cereal.Long ago I discovered that a little bit of kosher salt goes a long way, so I don't bake without adding a pinch. I don't use any other kind of salt in my cooking or eating anymore. Salt actually makes sweets sweeter. For this recipe, just a pinch of kosher salt improved the flavor greatly bringing out the sweetness of the fruit and brown sugar, making them all the more a treat for me.I cheat on the milk. I've been using 2% milk for 20 years now and I'm not about to change.