How to make Bran and Apple Muffins

Earlier on today, during a Twitter party, I tweeted that I make a mean Bran and Apple Muffin as a healthy(ish) addition to any lunchbox. I was asked for the recipe, but it was nowhere to be found online. So, the obvious thing to do was to make some muffins. I know, as if I needed an excuse. The good thing about these muffins is that they only have 137 calories per muffin (compared with over 200 calories in a normal muffin). They also taste delicious!
The recipe is inspired by one from a Good Housekeeping 'Family Meals for a Fiver' cook book, which is fantastic!

You will need:
250ml (9fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
2 tbsp orange juice
50g (2oz) All Bran
9 ready-to-eat prunes
100g (3½ oz) light muscovado sugar
2 medium egg whites
1 tbsp golden syrup
150g (5oz) plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 eating apple, peeled and grated
demerara sugar to sprinkle (I used multi-coloured sugar because it looks cool)

Makes 12 muffins

Preheat the oven to 190ºC (170ºC fan oven) mark 5. Line your muffin tin with 12 muffin cases.

In a large bowl, mix the milk and orange juice with the All Bran and set aside for ten minutes.

Put the prunes in a food processor or blender (I find a hand-held blender works fine) with 100ml (3½fl oz water and whiz for 2-3 minutes to make a purée  Then add the muscovado sugar and whiz again briefly to mix.

Prune puree

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until the form soft peaks. Add the whites to the milk mixture with the golden syrup, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, grated apple and prune mixture. Fold all the ingredients together gently. Make sure you disturb the mixture as little as possible.

IngredientsBran and Apple muffin mixture

Spoon all the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 30 minutes or until well risen and golden brown. Sprinkle with sugar just before serving.

How to make Bran and Apple Muffins

I have always found with this recipe that they do not rise as much as you hope they will, so don’t be disappointed. They do, however, taste absolutely amazing, so enjoy!