Recipe - Pumpkin Bran Muffins

This recipe was given to my mom when she got married.  She found it again recently and brought it with her when she went to my sister to help her with her new baby, and my sister has made them ever since.  Then she brought it to us.  I'm a big fan, too.

The recipe works because it makes a large amount of batter that can be stored in your fridge for a couple of weeks.  You scoop out what you need at the moment and never have any go stale.  I'm going to give you the original recipe and my alteration.

Original Bran Muffin Recipe
2 cups bran cereal {the twiggy stuff}
2 cups water
1 cup butter
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 qt. buttermilk
5 cups flour
5 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
4 cups All Bran
1 bag golden raisins

Now, you should always try the original before altering a recipe, but I didn't, and it accidentally turned out fabulously, so I'm sharing my changes in this version.  Any changes I've hi-lighted.  Don't be turned off by the number of ingredients.  I just added any spice that would likely be in a pumpkin pie!

Pumpkin Bran Muffins
2 cups bran cereal
2 cups water
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups sour cream
2 cups milk
1 can pumpkin {NOT pie filling, just straight pumpkin}
2 t. vanilla
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
5 t. baking soda
2 t. salt {I used kosher, a bit less if using table salt}
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground ginger
4 cups All Bran


Directions
Are you familiar with the muffin method of baking?  It simply means mixing your dry and wet ingredients separately and then combining.  We're going to use that here.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

1.  Soak your bran cereal in the water and set aside.

2.  Mix your wet ingredients in a very large bowl - my mixer wasn't large enough for this.  Add your bran cereal.

3.  Mix your dry ingredients in another bowl and combine with your wet ingredients.  It's easiest to add 1/3 of the dry at a time, combine, and then repeat.

4.  Scoop into greased muffin cups or use paper liners.  Fill pretty full - they don't rise much.

5.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out sort of clean.

Add some bacon, eggs, and fruit and you have a very satisfying breakfast!

Notes
*In my variation, I didn't measure most of my spices.  I eyeballed it.  Because this recipe makes a large amount, I could have added more and it wouldn't have overpowered.

**My mom has made them omitting the water and said it worked very well.

***A good way to do this recipe is to make the original and then add ingredients only to your batter for the morning.  My mom and sister's favorite is to add some grated carrot and the zest of one orange.  I haven't tried it like this, but it sounds good!