The secret to delicious muffins is to make the batter the night before and let it rest in the refrigerator over night.
I learned this secret from the Amazon reviews of the Bouchon Bakery cookbook. Which of course made me want to get the cookbook (which I did; thank you, Santa!) and make muffins. And since I was already making scones, croissants, pains au chocolat and macarons for the same brunch, I thought I should choose the healthy-sounding muffins.
Reviews:
- A 2 1/2 year old took one look, pointed and exclaimed, “cake!” Once he had the muffin on his plate and he realized it was too healthy to be cake, his parents had to finish the muffin.
- A 3 year old kept walking to the table, looking at the muffins, and walking away. Next thing we knew, she had taken a muffin and nibbled off the entire top. She finished that whole muffin, then nibbled the top off of another one! I consider that high praise!
- (The adults liked them, too.)
These muffins call for poached pears. Which I don’t have. I do, however, have loads of poached quince that I made with the harvest from my friends’ tree. But I didn’t want to open a whole 12 ounce jar of poached quinces just for the 28 grams this recipe calls for. So I put in cherries (poached? in liquid in a jar) instead.
This recipe supposedly makes 6 jumbo muffins (140 grams of batter each!). I don’t have a jumbo muffin tin, so I made regular muffins which weighed in at about 75 grams each. They overflowed along the top (hence the 3 year old’s ability to nibble the edges), so I might make them a smidge smaller next time.
Bran Muffins
From Bouchon Bakery
Yield: 6 muffins
Bran muffins are tricky, because the added fiber from the bran and wheat germ can make them dry and flavorless if you’re not careful. The key is to fill them with all kinds of other delicious ingredients, here honey and molasses, pumpkin seeds, and fruit.
The diced poached pears make a unique addition to the muffins, but since it’s only a small amount, feel free to substitute high-quality canned pears if you wish. Dried cranberries can be used instead of the raisins.
Ingredients:
110 grams (3/4 cup + 2 teaspoons) all-purpose flour
74 grams (1 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoons) toasted wheat bran (son de blé in French)
16 grams (2 1/2 tablespoons) toasted wheat germ (germes de blé in French/ tarwekeimen in Dutch)
6.6 grams (1 3/8 teaspoons) baking soda
5.5 grams (1 1/8 teaspoons) baking powder
149 grams (1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons) buttermilk
58 grams (3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) half-and-half
55 grams (1/4 cup) water
46 grams (1.6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
82 grams (1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons) granulated sugar
1/4 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (I used a dash of vanilla extract)
55 grams (3 1/2 tablespoons) eggs
46 grams (2 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon) clover honey
46 grams (2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) unsulfured blackstrap molasses (I used Candico kandijsiroop/sirop de candi)
28 grams (1 1/2 tablespoons) diced poached pears
28 grams (3 tablespoons) golden raisins
55 grams (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) pumpkin seeds
5 grams (2 teaspoons) whole flaxseeds for sprinkling
Directions:
To the batter:
Combined the flour, bran, and wheat germ in a medium bowl. Sift in the baking soda and baking powder and whisk together. Combine the buttermilk, half-and-half, and water in a large spouted measuring cup.
Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, turn to medium-low speed, and cream the butter, warming the bowl as needed, until it has the consistency of mayonnaise.
Add the sugar and mix on medium-low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean, add them to the butter mixture, and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds to distribute the seeds evenly; stop as necessary to break up any larger pieces.
Add the eggs, honey, and molasses and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, until just combined. Add half the flour mixture and mix on low speed for 15 seconds, of until just combined. With the mixer running, add half the buttermilk mixture and mix for 15 to 30 seconds, until just combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients, followed by the remaining buttermilk mixture.
Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and scrap the bottom of the bowl to incorporate any dry ingredients that have settled there. Fold in the pears, raisins, and pumpkin seeds. Transfer the batter to a covered container and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 36 hours.
To bake the muffins:
Preheat the oven to 425F (standard). Lind the muffin pan with the muffin papers and spray the papers with nonstick spray.
Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin papers, stopping 3/8 inch from the top (140 grams each). Sprinkle the flaxseeds on top of the muffins.
Place the pan in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 325F, and bake for 30 to 33 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool completely.
The muffins are best the day they are baked, but they can be wrapped individually in a few layers of plastic wrap or stored in a single layer in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 week.