TNT for the brain

Well...I've been baking again.
At the Alzheimer's Walk, they gave out a few "brain" happy recipes, and I thought I'd try one out last night. Baking stuff when it's really cold out side (and I have PMS/eat the whole pantry cravings...*ahem*) cheers me up. I love muffins...they're one of my favourite things...and favourite things to *make*. I make damn fine muffins, if'n I do say so myself...working as a baker in university taught me the muffiny secrets of the gods.
Now, of course I did doctor the original recipe a bit, as I had no buttermilk and put raspberries in them instead of the dried cranberries called for (J doesn't like cranberries...don't even *think* about raisins...foul little things...).
So ANYways, I present to you, my recipe for:

Raspberry Flax Brain muffins
(see what I did there? Brain, instead of bran? Eh? Eh? Yes hold your applause...)

2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 + 1/4 c milk
~1/4 c melted butter (~2-3 T)
1/3 c oil

1 c whole wheat flour
1 c white flour
3/4 c bran
3/4 c ground flax
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1T baking powder
1/2 t salt

1 c raspberrires

Whisk together the wet. Mix together the dry in a separate bowl and then stir together with wet until just mixed. Stir in fruit. Place in greased muffin tins (fills cups rather full) and bake @ 375 for ~20 minutes. Try not to overbake - check with a toothpick @ about 19 minutes...cool on rack. Once cooled, store in air tight container. It makes 12 yummy muffins.


For flax flour, you can buy whole flax and grind it up in a food processor, but our local grocer sells ground flax, so I used that. The recipe said 1 1/2 c buttermilk, but I forgot to buy some and wasn't about to walk 15 minutes in the freezing cold to get some - they still tasted very nice with my lazy replacing. I suppose you could put in 1 c milk and 1/2 c fat free sour cream and it would also be good...I ususally can't be bothered with buttermilk. You can't buy a 500 mL container of it where I am, and I never seem to use it all before it goes bad, so I just work around it. It always tastes better when you actually use it, I know, I know...but I'm trying to find healthier recipes. I'll probably do the fat free sour cream thing next time instead of butter.

I have to say I'm impressed with these...they're not too bad fat wise, and are very good for you ,what with the flax and bran. I'm having one right now the next day at coffee break and they're still moist and tasty. They aren't too dense or heavy...so I give them 4 1/2 out of 5 golden brains. I will definitely make them again, probably with blueberries next time.

And my brain never felt better...