I love bran muffins made with bran from a box not cereal.
If it weren't snowing so hard I would rush right down to StarBucks and buy one to see....

ok...get your snowshoes on and go..and ask them for a list of ingredients pls!!

Making a rude face at you.....LOL!!

This is the recipe from Cook's Illustrated. I really liked them. I have never had one form SB so I cannot help you there. Next time I am there I will get one. However I hate going there and only do when we are at a rest stop with no better choices.

-Robin

Better Bran Muffins

Goal: We wanted a recipe that yielded big, light muffins that sang the flavorful praises of wheat bran. Our muffin should accentuate the positive qualities of wheat bran, magnifying the fiber-rich ingredients earthy, sweet nuttiness. Surprisingly, we discovered that using an all-bran cereal was key.

Better Bran Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

The test kitchen prefers KelloggÂs All-Bran cereal for this recipe. We found it gave the muffins the best flavor and texture. Low-fat or non-fat yogurts can be substituted for the whole milk yogurt. However, the resulting muffins will have slightly less flavor.

1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon water
2 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) All-bran cereal
1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons light molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 3/4 cups plain whole milk yogurt

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray standard-sized muffin pan (cups have 1/2-cup capacity) with nonstick cooking spray. Combine raisins and water in small microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand, covered, until raisins are softened and plump, about 5 minutes. Transfer raisins to paper towel-lined plate to cool.

2. Process half of bran cereal in food processor until finely ground, about 1 minute. Whisk flours, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to combine; set aside. Whisk egg and yolk together in medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar, molasses, and vanilla; whisk until mixture is thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds. Add melted butter and whisk to combine; add yogurt and whisk to combine. Stir in processed cereal and remaining unprocessed cereal; let mixture sit until bran cereal is evenly moistened (there will still be some small lumps), about 5 minutes.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently mix with rubber spatula until batter is just combined and evenly moistened. Do not over-mix. Gently fold raisins into batter. Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among muffin cups, dropping it to form mound. Do not level or flatten surface of mounds.

4. Bake until muffins are dark golden and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out with just few crumbs attached, about 16 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

I did a search and it looks like Starbucks pastries are supplied by US Food.

http://www.usfoodservice.com/usf/html/index1.html

Here is a recipe by someone who made these after reading the nutrition info for a Starbuck's muffin (link included).

http://helenskitchen.blogspot.com/

compared a lot of muffin recipes (because I didn't want these to end up in the trash). Delores Casella's A World of Breads (now out of print but available used from Amazon) had a great section on building your own muffin recipe. She had an idea about substituting nut butter for part of the butter, which I think worked really well.

Anyway... these are really good by any muffin standard. I might cut down the sugar next time.

1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill 8 Grain Cereal
1 cup Lowfat Yogurt
1/2 cup 1% Milk

3/4 cup Whole Almonds

1 cup White Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Wheat Germ
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Butter or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
1 cup Brown Sugar (firmly packed)
1 Egg or Egg Replacer
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 tbsp Vanilla
Zest of 1 Lemon

1/2 cup Crystallized Ginger (small pieces)
1/2 cup Dried Fruit (I used Bing cherries)

Preheat oven to 400. (Don't forget, because you don't want your muffins sitting around once the baking powder/soda has been activated by the wet ingredients.)

1. Add the 8 Grain Cereal to the yogurt and milk and mix around. Let it sit and get soft while you're doing the other stuff.

2. Toast the almonds. Optional but tasty. I put them on a little cookie sheet in my toaster oven on "medium toast" but you could also put them in the oven on 375-400 for about 5 minutes. You really need to watch them so they don't burn.

3. While they're toasting, combine the dry ingredients (wheat flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder) except the wheat germ (which you're going to toast and then add to the dry ingredients... again, optional).

3. Put the almonds in the Cuisinart, and get them as close to butter as you can. Mine mostly just got really finely ground. Not a big deal. Then add the butter/y sticks and beat it with the almonds for 30 seconds or so. Then add the brown sugar... another 15 seconds or so. Then the egg/replacer, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and lemon zest... couple of pulses til mixed.

3. Toast the wheat germ (same deal as the almonds, but for about half the time). Add to the dry ingredients. Add the ginger and fruit to the dry ingredients.

4. Add the almond stuff to the yogurt and cereal and mix.

5. Add the wet and dry ingredients and mix just until all the dry ingredients are wet.

6. Divide among 12 lined muffin tins. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. (Don't be tempted to underbake.)

Nutritional Info (calculated by nutritionsource.com):
Calories: 282
Fat: 8.8 g
Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
Cholesterol: 2mg
Sodium: 224 mg
Carbohydrate: 46g
Dietary Fiber: 4.4g
Sugars: 28.9g
Protein: 6.5g
Calcium: 11%
Iron: 9%

MUCH better than Starbucks (and, of course, tastier). And definitely better than a quarter pounder.

barnmom, thanks for that info. I'm curious where one would get the nutritional info that she did for the muffin? Do you just ask at SB?? or any other chain? or is it on line somewhere?

tia

Maureen, here is a link that might be of some help. Look at the amount of calories in one muffin...no wonder they taste good!

It's on their website, there is a link inside her link. It goes to the SB site where you click ln or search for a location. It will then give you a PDF of nutritional info.

I have made the Cook's Illustrated "Better Bran Muffins" (5/2007) Robin mentioned several times. Of all the recipes I've come across that use the original Kellogg's All Bran cereal (twigs & sticks), they are the best . I've also made another Cook's Illustrated recipe for "Big Bran Muffins with Raisins & Dates" (9/1993). This is the best recipe I've found so far that uses wheat bran, not the cereal.

Last week I took my mom to Mimi's for lunch and we had a soup & salad combo that came with muffins. I ordered the bran muffin. It was huge, dense, chock full of bran, and had a syrup like coating. I found a copy cat recipe online and want to eventually try it too.

If you like, I'd be happy to post the recipes for the Cook's Illustrated Big Bran Muffins with Raisins & Dates and/or the Mimi's copy cat.

Shambo,
Yes, please post them

Robin,
That looks like a great recipe. My grandmother used all bran in her gingersnaps too.

Bubbe

Glad to share the recipes. It's funny, but I've got muffins from both Cook's recipes in my freezer right now. I like to alternate back & forth between them. Here's the Cook's "Big Bran Muffins" with my notes. One warning, the batter needs to sit at least an hour before baking. I usually leave it overnight.

Big Bran Muffins with Raisins and Dates
Cooks Illustrated 9/1993

My Notes: This was the best recipe so far that used wheat bran. It makes a dark, moist, flavorful bakery style muffin. I tried it with ½ cup oil & ¼ cup applesauce; I didn't notice any change in texture or taste. The biggest problem was getting the time & temperature right. 20 mins. at 400 is NOT enough time to cook the insides. The first time I made them, I had to re-bake the first batch after the tops came off revealing a batter filled center. The second batch came out much better.

Cook's Illustrated Note: You can substitute one cup oat bran for the wheat germ for a wholesome but slightly more dense muffin. (I have successfully used all wheat bran and half wheat & half oat bran; I've never tried the wheat germ.)

Makes about 20 muffins

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
(I use 1½ cups AP flour & 1 cup + 2 tbsp. white whole wheat)
4 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon table salt (I omitted)
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I use ½ cup oil & ¼ cup applesauce)
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup light brown sugar plus 2 tablespoons, packed firm (I omit the extra 2 tbsp.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used vanilla powder)
3/4 teaspoon maple extract (I used maple powder)
1 1/2 teaspoons butter extract (I omit)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup toasted wheat germ (I use another cup of wheat bran or a cup of oat bran)
1 cup wheat bran (not the cereal)
1/2 cup whole dates, plumped with scalding water, drained, and coarsely chopped (I poured boiling water over dried, sweetened cranberries, to plump & to remove excess sugar)
1 cup dark raisins, plumped with scalding water and drained (I poured boiling water over dried, sweetened blueberries, to plump & to remove excess sugar))

1. Whisk first five ingredients together in a bowl; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk next 7 ingredients together. Whisk in eggs, then buttermilk, wheat germ, and bran. Let batter rest 10 minutes.

3. Whisk dry ingredients into wet mixture to partially blend. Continue mixing batter with a rubber spatula, making sure that ingredients at the bottom are incorporated into the batter. Fold in raisins and dates.

4. Cover batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

5. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat over to 400 degrees. Lightly grease the top surface of 2, 12-cup muffin pans, use liners if necessary. (I bake in batches because I don't own two 12 cup muffin tins) Using an ice cream scoop, place a portion of the batter into each cup, filling to the brim (I've learned that it is important to fill them all the way to the top). Fill empty muffin cups with water to ensure even baking. Bake until muffin tops brown, about 20 minutes. (Cook's Illustrated Note: If muffins are not done after 20 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake until muffins test done.) [I bake 10 minutes at 400 and then 15-20 minutes at 350. I check with a pick, making sure center of muffins are completely done.] Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MIMIS BRAN MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins

1 cup flour
1 cup bran
4 tsp dry milk powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 Tbsp molasses
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 cup water

Glaze:
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
3 Tbsp shortening
2 Tbsp corn syrup
2 tsp water

Distribute about 1 Tbsp glaze onto bottom and sides of 12 muffin tins with pastry brush.
Combine flour, bran, milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well and set aside.
Mix together brown sugar, dark corn syrup, molasses, oil and egg in separate bowl until well blended.
Puree raisins and orange zest with water in blender or food processor. Add to liquid ingredients.
Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients until just moistened.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Immediately invert onto foil or wax paper to cool.