Help Make These Muffins More Moist

[shel]

Hi Gang,

Some years ago I started using this recipe:

BIG BRAN MUFFINS

1 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
2 Large eggs
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1 1/3 Cup buttermilk
1 Cup bran 1/2 Cup oil
1 Cup wheat germ
1/2 Cup molasses
5 tsp baking powder
1 medium sized ripe banana
1 tsp baking soda
1+ Cup raisins
4 TBS sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup medium chopped walnuts (optional)


Stir dry ingredients together well. Beat eggs well, add additional wet
ingredients and well mashed banana to eggs, stir well, add mixture to dry
ingredients, stir to moisten. Bake 20 minutes @ 400 degrees. Makes about 10 - 12 muffins

but I found it to be a little too dry. How might you improve this recipe without making it much sweeter, if at all? I'm looking for a little more moisture and perhaps a smoother, or lighter, texture, without sacrificing much in the way of fiber.

A couple of thoughts crossed my mind: baking at a lower temp or adding a little more liquid, as well as perhaps cutting back on the bran or wheat germ.

Shel

[kuan]

I think you should incorporate applesauce in there somewhere, or find a nonfat recipe which has more fruit puree added.

[foodnfoto]

I have a bran muffin recipe that looks very much like yours, Shel. The only difference is that I pour 3/4 cup boiling water over the bran, and then allow it to cool before mixing it all up. The dry bran soaks up an amazing amount of moisture from your muffins during the baking process, so do the raisins.
You might want to combine the raisins with the bran for the soaking process too.

[shel]

Originally Posted by foodnfoto

I have a bran muffin recipe that looks very much like yours, Shel. The only difference is that I pour 3/4 cup boiling water over the bran, and then allow it to cool before mixing it all up. The dry bran soaks up an amazing amount of moisture from your muffins during the baking process, so do the raisins.
You might want to combine the raisins with the bran for the soaking process too.

Thanks for the tip! I never would have known about the bran soaking up moisture.

Shel

[shel]

Originally Posted by kuan

I think you should incorporate applesauce in there somewhere, or find a nonfat recipe which has more fruit puree added.

The apple sauce is an interesting idea, and might be worth a try, although there's something about apple sauce and raisins that suggest it might not work, tastewise, for me. How about adding some more ripe banana instead of the apple sauce. I could also do away with the raisins and try the a' sauce.

Thanks!

Shel

[Myplaceoryours]

BIG BRAN MUFFINS

1 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
2 Large eggs
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1 1/3 Cup buttermilk
1 Cup bran
1/3 Cup oil
1/3 Cup melted butter (not margarine)
1 Cup wheat germ
1/2 Cup molasses
5 tsp baking powder
1 medium sized ripe banana
1 tsp baking soda
1+ Cup raisins
5 TBS sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup medium chopped walnuts (optional)


Moisture comes from sugar, eggs and oil (fat) so these are the changes I might make in the recipe. However, before I changed the recipe, I'd try reducing the baking time to 18 minutes and dump those muffins out of the pan onto a cooling rack as quickly as possible after they leave the oven.

[Z~BESTUS]

SHEL:
Good morning to you. In order to solve your baking problem we must first visit simple Baking science. That is where the answer lies I believe. Shel, although you are baking muffins your still dealing with a cake...any formula involving flour, butter, eggs, sugar & chemical leaveners is a "CAKE".
Shel, all cakes for the most part are baked at 350 degrees. However my friend, Whenever you employ honey, or molasses you must reduce the temp. down to 325 to 330 degrees. Otherwise due to the carmelization effect you will be drying out your batter quickly. Try it once more at 325 degrees.& do not forget to switch your baking pans around to insure even baking but not before 13/15 minutes or otherwise you will interfere with the chemical leaveners.
I hope I was able to provide you with cake baking insight this morning. Good luck & have a nice day.

~Z~ BESTUS.

[Culprit]

Trying the recipe at a lower temperature may help. But I'd preheat the oven to 400 prior to placing the prepared batter into the oven. 400 degrees isn't unusual for cakes or cake like baked goods. A moderate oven temperature ranges from 350 to 400 degrees. Muffin recipes often call for 400 degree temperatures, as do many biscuit and coffee cake recipes. Baking at higher temperatures does affect the shelf life of your baked goods. If your going to keep the baked goods on the shelf for a day or two, cook them at a slightly lower temperature to preserve the crumb moisture and reduce the staling rate.

[even stephen]

Try adding cream cheese to your batter, don't over mix, just incorporate.
Its what I do with flour based muffins and cornmeal muffins. Good Luck!

[m brown]

Soaking the bran and raisins would do the trick.

also....

swap out the banana for the applesauce, bananas cook and tend to dry out.
Honest, the apple flavor does not really come thru, mainly the sweetness.

the acids in the honey and molasses react with the leaveners to produce a faster leavening, so take advantage and bake as soon as they are ready.

(If you are making big batches and need to chill batter overnight and bake in the am, keep dry seperate from wet ingredients and blend just before baking.
Or, freeze batter in pan, lightly thaw and bake.)

bake at the normal high temp, these are little cakes that need a BIG leavening boost in the oven to avoid odd shapes and raw centers.

[shel]

Thanks so much for all your input and ideas. They have been very helpful, and I got quite an education as well. Great stuff!

Shel