Refrigerator Bran Muffins

This is a blast from my past.  All the cookbooks from my mom's era had a handful of entries of this particular muffin and I remember my mother making them.  The recipe is nice because it makes a big batch, but the batter can sit in your fridge for a week.  Makes mornings so easy, and this is a good-for-you muffin as far as they go.  I like them with jam or jelly.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins
2 c. boiling water
5 tsp. baking soda
In a bowl, stir baking soda into water until dissolved.  Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, cream together:
1 c. shortening
2 c. sugar
4 eggs

Combine:
5 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
and add to shortening mixture alternately with
1 qt. buttermilk
Mix well.  Beat in the baking soda/water mixture.

Fold in:
6 c. bran flakes cereal
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min. Yield: about 5 dozen

Notes:  You can add raisins to this, or it even works to make this with raisin bran cereal.  Last time I made it, I used 5 c. bran flakes and 1 c. wheat germ.  Next time I make it, I think I'm going to try using brown sugar instead of white.  I make 2 dozen for my family at a time, and usually I get about 4 dozen total.  I grease my muffin cups, and the yield may be higher with paper-lined cups, as they tend to hold a bit less.

You can also bake all the muffins at once and freeze them.  This is great for on-the-go mornings, as a frozen muffin takes only about a minute in the microwave to be hot.  True fast food. :)

Jenny