Bran Muffins à la Jones

Dan Jones has brought us the ideal accompaniment for a soup meal. The beauty of his bran muffins is that you can keep the batter up to eight weeks and use it as you go. The recipe comes from his family in Ohio and has been shared and shared again. Dan’s contribution was to substitute honey for the sugar in the recipe.

• 1 quart buttermilk

• 1 15-ounce box of raisin bran cereal

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 2-1/2 cups honey (or sugar)

• 5 cups flour

• 5 teaspoons baking soda

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

1. In a large bowl, mix the buttermilk, raisin bran, oil and honey.

2. Mix in the five cups of flour, one cup at a time.

3. Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix well.

4. Cover and refrigerate. Though it can be used right away, Dan tells us the flavor is better if you let it sit overnight.

5. To serve, simply grease a muffin tin and fill almost full since they do not rise very much. About three-quarters full ought to do it. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

It doesn’t get any easier than this. After you make the batter, it is just a matter of minutes to prepare fresh, delicious muffins for you and yours. Serve them with a hearty oxtail or pea soup; serve them with breakfast or Sunday brunch.