Perhaps the first one below is what you're remembering. Both recipes are from Cook's Illustrated, and both are very good. The first one uses Kellogg's All-Bran Original cereal (the sticks & twigs), and the second one uses actual wheat bran. I've copied my notes too. I make bran muffins weekly, alternating between these two recipes. Better Bran Muffins Cooks Illustrated 5/2007 The test kitchen prefers Kellogg's All-Bran Original cereal in this recipe. Dried cranberries or dried cherries may be substituted for raisins. Low-fat or nonfat yogurt can be substituted for whole milk yogurt, though the muffins will be slightly less flavorful. Notes: I use oil instead of melted butter, sometimes toasted walnut oil. Makes 12 small muffins or 6 jumbo muffins 1 cup raisins 1 teaspoon water 2 1/4 cups All-Bran Original cereal (5 ounces) 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces) 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (2 1/2 ounces) 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon table salt (I omit) 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar (4 2/3 ounces) 3 tablespoons mild molasses (or light) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), 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 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, about 30 seconds. Add melted butter and whisk to combine; add yogurt and whisk to combine. Stir in processed cereal and unprocessed cereal; let mixture sit until cereal is evenly moistened (there will still be some small lumps), about 5 minutes. (My note: Do not let sit longer than 5 minutes) 3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently mix with rubber spatula until batter is combined and evenly moistened. Do not overmix. Gently fold raisins into batter. Using 1/3-cup measure or ice cream scoop, divide batter evenly among muffin cups, dropping batter to form mounds. Do not level or flatten surfaces of mounds. 4. Bake until muffins are dark golden and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out with a few crumbs attached, 16 to 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving. Big Bran Muffins with Raisins and Dates CookÂs Illustrated 9/1993 You can substitute one cup oat bran for the wheat germ for a wholesome but slightly more dense muffin. My Notes: This was the best recipe so far that used wheat bran. It makes a dark, moist, flavorful bakery style muffin. ItÂs a little bit oily as is, so I make it with ½ cup oil & ¼ cup applesauce. 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. I've never use wheat germ; either I use all wheat bran or half wheat & half oat bran. 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 omit) 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 3/4 teaspoon maple extract 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 oat bran) 1 cup wheat bran (not the cereal) 1/2 cup whole dates, plumped with scalding water, drained, and coarsely chopped (I pour boiling water over dried, sweetened blueberries several times, to plump & to remove excess sugar) 1 cup dark raisins, plumped with scalding water and drained (I use dried cranberries or cherries and pour boiling water over them just like the blueberries) 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 (I leave it in 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. Using an ice cream scoop, place a portion of the batter into each cup, filling to the brim (Fill them to the top). Fill empty muffin ups with water to ensure even baking. Bake until muffin tops brown, about 20 minutes. If muffins are not done after 20 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake until muffins test done. (This baking method works for me: Bake 10 minutes at 400 and then 15-20 minutes at 350. Check with pick; make 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.

I made orange ice cream on Wednesday, but didn't use the 3-ingredient recipe. Finally took a picture of it so I could post on this thread. I don't have the Ben & Jerry's book, but found this (recipe below) on-line and it referenced the Ben & Jerry's book. It's very easy to make, but a bit different from the recipe Linda posted. I added the mint for a little bit of color. The three volunteer guinea pigs who tasted it said it reminded them of the Creamsicles/Dreamsicles of their youth. Apparently, the Creamsicle & Dreamsicle both have a sherbet shell but the Creamsicle has ice cream in the center, and the Dreamsicle has ice milk in the center. Orange Cream Dream Ice Cream from Ben & JerryÂs Ingredients: ⨠1/3 cup Orange juice concentrate; thawed ⨠2 teaspoons Vanilla ⨠2 cups heavy cream or whipping cream ⨠3/4 cup Sugar ⨠2/3 cup Half and half (I added 2 T vodka to keep it from getting icy) Directions: Pour the cream into a mixing bowl. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour the half and half and whisk to blend. Add the juice concentrate and vanilla and blend. I added the vodka at this step. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions. Makes about 1 qt.

Michelle - thanks for the recipe. I will add it to my collection. I found some other good tips on making muffins in my web search. I had known about most of these in the past. I found this information on several websites and consolidated it here. If anyone else has some tips to add please list them. Thanks. Clare TIPS Sift all dry ingredients. Measure flour accurately. Sift with the other dry ingredients. Don't over mix. Put all dry ingredients in one bowl and all the wet in another. Create a well in the dry ingredients and barely mix in the wet. Use very few strokes and don't worry about lumps. Mix by hand. Never use a mixer or it will create too much gluten. Mix by hand and resist the urge to make the batter look uniformly mixed. Little clumps of flour are good. Cake method vs Muffin method. Cake method is creaming the butter with the sugar, and the muffin method is when wet ingredients are added to the dry. Buttermilk or Yogurt. Use these instead of milk to make a lighter crumb. Baking Powder. Most muffins recipes call for baking powder. It works with the heat of the oven to cause lift which helps to create a light crumb. Make sure it is fresh not old. Fresh baking powder should be good for three to six months once you open the container. To test the vitality of your baking powder, add a teaspoon of it to a third of a cup of hot water. If it foams and bubbles, it has enough oomph left. If it just sits there, it's time to run to the store or you can make your own. Combine a tablespoon of baking soda with 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar and 1-1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch. It may not have the same potency as a good store-bought double-acting baking powder, but it will serve in a pinch. Substitutions. Using applesauce or prune puree in place of oil or melted butter often causes leadenness. Grease only the bottoms not the sides. If you grease the sides, the muffins may not rise as well and this will make them dense. Or use muffin papers. Make sure the oven is hot enough. Especially in the beginning of baking. You want a blast of heat the first 10 minutes to make the lift happen. Some people set the oven 25 deg. hotter than the recipe calls for and then turn it down to the proper temp. when you put the pan in the oven. Do not open the door to check on the muffins during the first 10 minutes. (I used my convection oven setting and it may have helped with the lift.)

Glenda this is tried and true by me, who doesn't like to fool around much with desserts so if I can do it, anybody can! Sol's recipes are all great - as are Marilyns! Molten Lava Cakes -Sol ½ pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped ½ pound butter 6 whole eggs, room temperature 1 ½ cups sugar ½ cup flour Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter the bottom and sides of 8 6-ounce ramekins and sprinkle with baking cocoa, tap to remove excess cocoa. Set aside. In the top of a double boiler or in a microwave, gently, melt the chocolate and butter. Whisk until completely melted. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar and flour until just blended. Gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until combined. Evenly divide the mixture between the prepared ramekins. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are firm and beginning to crack and the edges are set. Remove from oven and serve immediately, with ice cream, your favorite chocolate sauce, a few chocolate-covered coffee beans and giddyap baby!. I can almost feel my zippy-self coming back to life, just thinking 'bout it ;-à Note: I didn't use ramekins. Instead I used mini wonder-molds for these cakes 'cause I liked their shape. These molds are quite a bit larger than the ramekins, so for me, this recipe only yielded 5 servings. Chocolate Sauce 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1/3 cup light brown sugar 1/3 cup light corn syrup 12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or liqueur Heat the cream, sugar, salt and corn syrup in a saucepan over low heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Allow to stand a few minutes until the chocolate has melted, then whisk gently until smooth. Whisk in vanilla or liqueur. Note ~ I know you love Valrhona, so do I. But for this, I used Lindt because it's another favorite, and it's what I always have around. As long as the chocolate tastes good and the texture is silky to begin, then it'll be a good candidate for this sauce. If you end up using another type of chocolate and you notice tiny lumps in your finished product, don't panic. Just strain the chocolate mixture through a fine sieve, it'll be fine.