Blueberry Bran Muffins

The recipe is out of the Looney Spoons Crazy Plates recipe book. They make a great breakfast or afternoon snack with tea. I made a bunch of regular sized muffins, but also a bunch of mini muffins. The peaches replace nearly all the oil, the bran adds tons fiber and the blueberries offer rich antioxidants, making them a low fat and healthy snack.

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 can (140z) peaches in light syrup, undrained
2/3 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup fat free egg subsitute or 2 whole eggs
3 T vegetable oil
4 cups bran flakes cereal
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh of frozen) or use cranberries.

Preheat oven at 375 C, spray muffins tins with non stick spray. In medium bowl combine flour, bakingn soda, cinnamon, salt.

Drain peaches and reserve 1/3 cup of the syrup. Pour peaches and reserved syrup into a blender and puree until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk together pureed peaches, brown sugar, egg substitute and vegetable oil. Add Bran Flakes and mix well. Add flour mixture and stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix. Gently fold in blueberries.

Divide batter into muffin tins. Bake for 20min (less if using mini muffin pans), or until toothpick comes out of center clean.

Makes 12 regular muffins.

Tips on perfect muffins:

1. When mixing muffins do not overmix, just mix until the dry ingredients are wet and mixture is combined...NOT until lump free. Overmixing causes the gluten in the flour to over develop, making muffins dry and hard.

2. You can prepare the wet and dry ingredients the night before and store in the fridge. In the morning add the mixtures together and bake for fresh muffins.

3. Do not overfill muffin tin or they will not bake evenly - I use a cookie scooper to ensure they are all even.