Category Archives: Breads

Cereal Bran Muffins

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Bran Muffins

I can barely squeeze my thighs into my jeans. If you are a frequent reader, you may have deduced that my love affair with carbs runs deep – and it’s showing.  I’ve never passed up a gooey chocolate chip cookie or slice of toast saturated in salted butter.  Every few weeks, cinnamon-sugar pancakes are my dinner entrée, especially after a difficult day at work –oh so comforting. This romance is starting to take its toll and it cannot go on – or at least at the current frequency.

Never having much luck going cold-turkey, I’ve resolved to ease into carb austerity with a culinary “Nicoderm patch” of breakfast muffins that at least lean towards the healthier side.  (“Not very healthy,” you may think, but considering my baseline is a carrot apple muffin with cream cheese frosting, these are an improvement).

Cereal Bran Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

2 c. Bran cereal (I use Trader Joe’s high fiber cereal, but All-bran should work also)
1 c. Milk
1 Large egg, beaten
¼ c. Canola oil
½ c. Brown sugar, packed
1 Ripe banana, mashed
1 c. Flour
1 t. Baking powder
½ t. Cinnamon
¼ t. Salt
2 T. Flax seeds, toasted (optional)
1/3 c. Pepitas or chopped nuts (optional)
½ c. Fruit (I used frozen cranberries, but any  fresh or frozen berry, soft fruit or shredded apple would work)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin tins or use paper liners.  In a large bowl, combine milk, egg and oil.  Add cereal and let sit 15 minutes to soften.  Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Add brown sugar and banana to cereal mixture and combine.  Add flour to cereal-banana mixture and stir together just until combined (don’t over mix).  Fold in seeds or nuts (if using) and fruit.

Scoop batter into muffin tins and bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until muffins are golden brown.  Paper liners may stick if you don’t allow the muffins to cool completely.

Simple no-knead rolls

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No Knead Rolls

The other day, I willingly described myself as a “kink” in a friend’s life – a wrinkle, an entanglement. I meant it as a placation – don’t worry about me; I know I’m a needless complication. I’ve reflected on that pronouncement. That is not what I want for myself. As I stumble through life, a guiding principle I’ve considered is what my family and closest friends would say at my funeral; how do I want my headstone to read as a testament to my life? It’s most certainly not:

Here lies Phoren,
a needless complication
RIP

Speaking of needless complications, I’ve been baking these surprisingly simple (knead-less) rolls this season for my holiday entertaining. There’s nothing that says “welcome to my home” like the smell of yeast bread baking in the oven (well, maybe chocolate chip cookies).

Simple No-knead rolls
Adapted from Real Simple’s no-knead onion rolls
Makes 9 rolls

1 cup Warm tap water (107° to 110° F)
1 .25 oz. package active dry yeast
1 Large egg
4 Tablespoons Unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
2 Tablespoons Sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
3 cups All-purpose flour
a combination of chopped fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary, Kalamata olives, caramelized onions, or crisp bacon, etc.
2 teaspoons Olive oil
1 teaspoon Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Place warm tap water in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the egg, 2 tablespoons melted butter, sugar, and salt. Add the flour and any herbs or additions and mix until a sticky dough forms. Brush the top of the dough with the olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour (I turn the oven to 250° and set the bowl near the oven vent). Butter a 8-inch baking pan. Punch the dough down. With well-floured hands, form the dough into 9 balls and place in the prepared pan, spacing evenly. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size,  about 40 minutes. Heat oven to 400° F. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the dough with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until the rolls are golden, 18 to 22 minutes (tent with foil if the tops brown too quickly). Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with plenty of butter.