I love to cook and have memorized your book. Could oat bran be used? I was using French flour, which is a bit lighter than US flour.
David, you mentioned the muffins should be mounded in the center, but how full should the tin be of batter? However, the muffins did have completely flat tops. (I dumped out the batter, wiped out the muffin tin, and added the dry ingredients before baking no harm done.). Ive made lots of wheat bran muffins with an enormous recipe. Last month I convinced my husband to buy me a kitchenaid mixer and promised him that if he did, I would make sure there was baking in the house every day. I should also note that my grandmother was a persnickety eater and would only eat food that was fresh, and really good. But there is all that wheat germ, which provides some stability. (*(*, with 8 children and 1 bath. Have you gotten around to testing the recipe with more flour? Both were great cooks and made great meals no matter what else they had going on. Haha, great post. Its a keeper anyway. Sign up for my newsletter and get my FREE guidebook to the best bakeries and pastry shops in Paris buttermilk or plain low- or non-fat yogurt. Oh and I always thought that she was a great cook turns out not so much. That is priceless.. j & sofia: I would not use fresh blueberries in this as the batter depends on the pureed raisins for moisture, and fresh blueberries have too much water. Okay David, I just made these and had to come here and tell you that they were superb. My batch is still in the oven, so its just a theory. Thanks! Your line about the Lalique glasses made me laugh. Images of what she baked and how she tended her garden are always with me. Love reading about your grandma! Charissa: I love that story, too! Thanks for sharing this story. . and I love the story about your Grandmother. Really great post. I might not put as much orange in next time the flavour is good but maybe the recipe isnt quite sweet enough to handle the orange rind and my husband wants to put jam on them so the orange may not go. Write on. I have been such a slacker this summer you have now inspired me to do better. Hi Lori: I was thinking of adding more flour the next time I made them, just to see. I made them exactly as per the recipe, except for baking at 200C and using plain flour instead of whole wheat flour. Delicious! Thanks for sharing the muffin recipe. I do like the orange stove-top one, though. Theyre very tasty, not exactly light in texture but still somewhat fluffy not dense and theyre moist. Thanks for highlighting the recipe, now I really cant wait! Ill have to try this recipe-Im not so sure Ive ever had a bran muffin that I actually liked. I have an old faithful, but may be willing to stray. I met Nancy when she was the pastry chef at Spago, before she went off on her own to open La Brea Bakery and Campanile restaurant. Heavenly! Hi David, Just what I wanted, a recipe for healthy muffins. Wonderful entry to the blog, Davidyour personal stories and sense of humor are what make this blog great. Now if theyd mention that as an excuse, perhaps theyd get a little bit more support outta me. Your grandmother sounds like a great lady. Love all your posts, food related and other. A previous poster had questioned using oat bran instead of wheat bran. Also came out a bit flat, even though I started them off at 375 F. They were a little wet (probably should have added more flour knowing I was using extra large eggs), but delicious. I think adding a bit less liquid was the ticket, but I didnt want to mess with her recipe too much since it tastes pretty darn good as it is and theyre so light. They have such great flavor and texture. I did put the heat to 360 since Im at fairly high altitude. hey, what happened to your espresso machine?
I aspire to be just like her in my advancing years! (The burned edges were my own dumb doing.) After she finished off the one she was eating, she rambled through the bag looking for another. (At least once in a while, whenever I get a continuous hour or two at home when Im not completely exhausted.). I baked them at 375 degrees, not 400, for a total of 18 minutes. No dinner. I think your story about her is terrific, especially her retort about the Lalique glasses. My grandmother was just like yours, sassy and took no ! My fiances son and grandson are coming to visit in a couple of weeks and I think Ill give these a go for breakfast during their stay. Her morning ritual is a memory I will cherish. Im an amateur cook, so this question may seem obvious, but would this work well with fresh blueberries? What a beautiful tribute to your grandma. The muffins came out delicious and very figgy-tasting. Increasing the temperature to 400 degrees didnt make mine any more domed on the top than yours were. And to think it will live on in all our minds as well. Its that good. They look terrific! Thanks for this glimpse of your salty grandma and for the very tempting bran muffin recipe. :) I cant imagine doing all the cooking I do without my KitchenAid or food processor. I just loved this story! Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Cant wait to make those lovely muffins (Ill try some chopped dates instead of rasins, theyve been sitting in my fridge begging for a batter bath). Beautiful post enough to get a long time lurker to leave a comment! Thanks for sharing. LOVE it. :), One of my biggest regrets upon leaving LA was not being able to try the pizza at Mozza, I read such rave reviews, but alas I never made it. And bran isnt really a aprt of the diet.
And they did have a great flavor. I just wanted to second two questions that have already been asked: Its amazing what people had time to do back then, maybe we are on the computer too much or something?
Because great food can truly can change a persons life. I admire Nancy Silverton and her fastidiousness re baking, so I did not play with the volume of the liquids, or the flours. I have a job and two kids at home :-) Ill try the muffins this weekend. Those look amazing (like real muffins, not just unfrosted cupcakes!) Loved this story. I dont like liverwurst! I whined. I soaked the toasted bran in the yogurt mixture for at least half an hour, and I followed all the other instructions to a T. Im thinking that I may need to up the flour to 3/4 cup (my dough looked a lot wetter than the dough in your pictures) and the baking powder to 1 1/2 teaspoons, but Im not sure if that would be enough to remedy the problem. This is to be my ONLY bran muffin recipe. More Grandma Lebovitz stories please. When adding the water with the buttermilk, I added only 3/4 cup water instead of 1 cup, because of some commenters feeling this was too much liquid. I think Ill make them again, and I like your addition of whole wheat flour. David this is a really beautifully written post! I want to keep it going for as long as possible. hello David, im a recently new visitor to your blog, and I have to tell you that your personal stories and sense of humor are what make this blog great. Oh and on your new book. Then, I forgot to add the remaining 1/2 cup of water to the recipe but the muffins were still incredibly moist. The chocolate banana muffins in La Brea Pastries are also wonderful-rich moist dark chocolate..hmmmm. Which was a good thing, because she sure loved to eat. Great recipe. Enquiring minds wish to know: are you drinking your vin ordinaire out of Lalique glasses? Another person in Los Angeles whos a great cook is Nancy Silverton. I tried baking the muffins at 400 degrees. Based on a quick read, this recipe reminds me of one I was given by a friends mother, originating in WW2, the story goes. I just ordered Silvertons Pastries from the La Brea Bakery cookbook along with my copy of The Sweet Life in Paris. Emily: Ive not made them without raisins. Spread the wheat bran on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for six to eight minutes, stirring a few times so it cooks evenly. Loved the story. (Gulp!) Stir until the ingredients are just combined, then mix in the remaining 1/2 cup (55g) raisins. So far, I have held to my promise and today was bran muffin day. My grandmother ate the same thing almost every day, which seems pretty odd to me now. Louisa: I would, except I dont use that kind of language on the blog. Oh my God, this is so moistand has so much flavor!. My mother complains that foods have lost some of their flavor, and she doesnt smoke or drink. and I live in a two-room apartment, drink 3 bottles of vin ordinaire, and have to take my laundry down to the Seine and beat it on a rock with a stick. Yes, but youre doing it in Paris, LOL. After simmering the raisins, I pureed them with about 1/4 cup of the buttermilk/water mixture; it works better with the extra liquid. Even if Nancy Silverton had not started one of the greatest bakeries and revolutionized supermarket breads, she should be forever immortalized as the baker who made Julia Child cry on camera. There are some beautiful pastries about, but good bread, non-processed and sweetened bread, is somewhat hard to find. . Lovely warm post David. Your grandmother sounded like a hoot. Thanks to Nancys great work ethic, vision and passion for baking, I realized that a woman with passiona woman with enough jou-jou to make a bran muffin sexycould do anything. I found when I pureed the raisins they had tiny tiny seeds that just didnt get pureed. I made these muffins last weekend and they did turn out flat, but that didnt stop them from being devoured! I think they are fantastic and my husband does too. A hit with friends and family. I will be making these muffins, too, now that youve pointed them out. They came out perfect, barring one small mistake which I guess is my oversight. I forgot the 1/2 tsp. vanilla Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins feel set in the center. My grandmother (who turned 90 this year) has been making a batch of bran muffins for YEARS and baking and eating just one every morning. your smartly written posts and your links guided me during the four days i just spent in paris. I love sassy Grandmas and the visual of you beating your laundry with a stick. She lived to be almost 100. Darn! :). Did you know they sell La Brea bread in Sainsburys and Tescos in England? Fortunately Nancy took pity on me and thinking that my grandmother, who I stayed with in LA was old and frail, would load me up with all sorts of breads, scones, cookies, and muffins to bring home to poor ol grandma. I just ordered both the La Brea bread book and the Pastry book last week after borrowing them from the library. As always, thanks, David. I would love to hang out with her in her kitchen! David, what a lovely post! Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, making sure the batter is mounded slightly in each one. I will have to dredge it up in my files and compareYour grandma was a hoot to read about, thanks! This looks like a very interesting recipe, but there really is a lot of liquid in there for the amount of flour. I was looking for a hearty muffin to eat for breakfast before the upcoming bar exam. Bet your grandmother adored you too;) And the muffins look delicious. Youve made me miss my sweet grandma and her sister more than ever. Im trying to find a place in my home library to keep Sweet Life Cookbooks?Philosophy?Travel?Humor?Classics? Finished The Sweet Life in Paris about two weeks ago and totally loved it. Lena: I got it at Tati. They did not rise any higher. Categories: David's Favorite Posts Extras Recipes, Tags: bran muffins Campanile Chesterfields Chivas La Brea Bakery Lalique Los Angeles Mozza muffins Nancy Silverton raisons recipes Spago. Theyre wonderful. They are nothing short of delicious AND moist. I made a batch with raisins and pecans mixed in and liked those better, but then I tend to like fruit, nuts, and/or chocolate added to anything. now, mozza is one of my favorite haunts, a place i love to drop into on a saturday afternoon, grab a seat at the bar, and order the caprese salad and some marrow bones. Well, the only thing poor about her was that I ate half the loot in the car on the way back to her house. Ive been looking for a great bran muffin recipe for a while now, so Im really looking forward to trying this! Then I have to get them all to ballet and everyone goes at a different time! My granny was deaf, called me Sidney instead of Cyndy, and dribbled food down her chin. Baking time, 21 minutes. I told someone today that I have been obsessed with making ice cream (your fault by the way loved The Sweet Life, so I bought The Perfect Scoop) and they said I wish I had that kind of free time. I didnt have fresh oranges, but I had homemade candied orange peel in the freezer and used some slivers of that. I did make one small change: vanilla extract. David, I just finished your memoir. The muffins were definitely moister than the Claim Jumper clones and I think they had a better (lower, in this case) level of sweetness. Theyre both very good, but different, and Ill use both recipes in the future. My assistant (quite a foodie) inhaled the muffin I brought for her and declared it creamy. Did follow your advice on 400 degrees and did in 93 loaf pans (2) for 27 minutes. Very moist and flavorful. Apparently its made in Ireland. They turned out looking exactly like yours. I just made these this morning. I wish I could meet your grandmother. But my aunt! My favorite-ever episode of Baking With Julia was when Silverton prepared her stunning Brioche Tart With Apricots and Custard Cream and, during the tasting scene at the end, Julia actually teared up and was briefly speechless, before warbling Its a dessert to cry for!. Im not much of a bran muffin fan, but if Maida Heatter (and your grandmother) say theyre the best, then I had to give them a chance. Regardless it is a very nice recipe. Even back then, Id be able to buy some of their bread at my local supermarkets on a remote(ish) island of Hawaii, but finding myself in their original location was magical.
One muffin needs 30-60 seconds (depending on your microwaves power) to revive it to near-fresh bake condition. Sue me, I think its good! Breakfast was 4 pieces of bacon, 2 eggs fried in bacon grease, toast and several cups of seriously strong black coffee. Fast forward to today.
Judi: Whats funny is that no one ever complains about the time it takes to clean up. I thought they counted as liquids, but I noticed you listed it under grams. Yes, you can cook, your baking is extraordinaire but your writing is what keeps us all tuned in. What a great post about your grandmother.
What a marvelous woman. Just made the muffins last night. How lucky you were to have a grandmother like that. I had just one cup of raisins and no orange zest, so I added a bit of vanilla bean powder instead. This is after completing my own work day and we havent even gotten home to tackle that beastly bear called homework. This is a typical modern day life, nothing is convenient and the driving, driving, driving is enough to kill the strongest of mothers. They were definitely moist, though. Theres a little planning but please its 10 minutes and then heaven. No wonder the batter seemed watery. Nancys recipes are always spot on. Thank you for sharing her story and thank you for this recipe. While the bran is toasting, heat 1 cup (135g) of the raisins with 1/2 cup (120ml) of the water. Now I miss my grandmother or as I affectionately called her you old bat. I dont know if my grandmother loved to cook, but she was certainly good at it. You had me laughing out loud and giggling like a school girl with this post. at the time, it felt like an insult, but after reading some of your archived posts, i think also very much in the uncle charlie style, i see what a compliment it truly was. I have a job and two kids at home I think of my grandmother, that had four kids, opened and ran a huge five-story furniture store which she worked in every day with her husband. I just wonder if I can replace the wheat bran for oat bran. I believe behind every great cook is a great grandma. I find that w.w. pastry flour is a great substitute for white flour in most muffins, pancakes, and other non-yeast quickbreads. Thank you. or add nuts instead? Thanks for the great post! I, too, am a busy working mom with little time to cook. Its been a long time since I made that recipe, or ate it, but I remember it being not too sweet but very moist and flavorful, also. Puree the raisins in a food processor or blender until smooth. (Although normally I test recipes with both, but theres only so many bran muffins a guy can handle!). Richard Lenoir. My kids, even the picky eater enjoyed them as well. Inspired, I made your Dulce de Leche Brownies this afternoon and they are just great! Im sure she contributed immensely to your love of food. . Especially the clean scoop alongside. It added a bit of flavor without making it sweeter. I might cook them this way on purpose next time. Ive always had a fondness for bran muffins and am looking forward to trying out the recipe! But dont; maybe its the density of the bran or the wheat flour, but theyre a delicious way to enjoy them well after baking day. That recipe didnt have any sugar, and was sweetened with raisin puree. Thanks! They are delicious though! My minor faux pas, David.havent read the book yet but certainly will. I made these this morning and while I LOVE the flavors, they didnt rise hardly at all (and I baked them at 400 degrees). Lunch was stewed chicken wings (think cheap meat), with carrots and celery and frozen English peas. Light and not so sweet sounds like my kind of muffins! Will keep trying. Would I need to do anything differently? I like that type of bran muffin that seems like its probably going to fix every single thing thats wrong with you. True story: Nancy Silverton changed my life. And yes, Im going for my third one now. Its a recipe which has honey in the title, but doesnt call for honey. When people tell me, I dont have time to cook. I only allow myself several pages a day. I am venturing a guess that if there was a higher ratio of white flour, there might be a better rise. . I made that batch in ramekins because I was out of muffin-tin space. I used to use a bran muffin recipe that came out looking a lot like the ones pictured here: very, very moist and kinda flat on the top. Get my newsletter for a tasty mix of food, Paris, life, and travel! Or because she smoked two packs of non-filter Chesterfields per day her entire life, and enjoyed quite a few slugs of Chivas in the Lalique glasses she got on her honeymoon; So what if I break one? she said to me, when I protested part of my inheritance was going to get dropped, You get one less when Im gonetoo bad!, But after she took one bite out of her first bran muffin from Nancy, she was blown-away by how good it was. Thanks for sharing the recipe and the story. A perfect end to a summer meal. I dont know if that was because food was indeed losing its flavor as more processed became a part of our lives, or because she was getting old. Ill be a crusty muffin! Great post. I do have the Nancy Silvertons pastry book but never tried the bran muffins. I love Nancy (I worked for her at Mozza and freelance for La Brea Bakery as a writer) and always love to hear stories about how her incredible baking skills have touched other people. I come from a part of the world where baking isnt a big thing. Keep up the awesome work- its always a treat to read your blog. Somehow given the appearance of wheat bran, one suspects that the muffins are going to taste of woodchips but what a pleasant surprise! -oven- I think being a good cook does that to you. Thanks! Thank you! Im Planning to be in Paris in October, (no, I wont call you), I appreciate your Mes Bonnes Adresses. I used two teaspoons of baking powder, I grated an entire orange rind and put all of the scrapings in the mix (I love orange peel), a teaspoon of vanilla and I put two tablespoons more flour in the recipe than what was called for oh, and I only used one type of flour whole wheat pastry flour. Oh your grandmother sounds fantastic! David, was my comment on FB yesterday an inspiration for this line I dont have time to cook. Terrific recipe! The only thing I would try to fix is that the centres of the muffins are a bit too wet and almost have a pudding like texture, maybe Ill try to reduce the liquid the next time. I know I sound like a broken record, but . Simmer for ten minutes, or until the water is all absorbed. Should I alter amounts of other ingredients? great post! Despite that, the muffins were still pretty good. Nice memories so often are interrelated with food! Fern: Yes, the batter is quite light. But letting it soak a bit might be an interesting thing to try. I couldnt bare to go through that experience again. Beautifully written! I loved this recipe and tried it literally a couple of hours ago. You will by then! If you do try it, let us know how it works out. I do not understand when people say they dont have time to cook a few minutes here, a few minutes there, and you get good food. I have always hesitated to make bran muffins, but your post has convinced me I ought to try this out, once at least. I had filled a few spaces in the muffin tin before I remembered you had said something about adding extra baking powder. She replied, I dont like your a! Apparently she didnt care if I told on her since my mother/her sister pushed her over a hill in her baby buggy on purpose. Im fairly new to baking and am eternally looking for healthier options. I had several eccentric characters in my family and appreciate their uniqueness (more now than I did then).
Hi! one of my first comments about la when i moved here from new york was, whats with the horrible bread, then nancy silverton opened la brea bakery and life in southern california changed forever. it was a practice my french trip and your anecdotes about life a paris helped me confidently explore the city like a local. My husband, dog, and I are coming to Paris for 6 months in December and staying on bld. Interesting note: the first time I made them, the raisins would not puree in the blender; they just didnt have enough liquid to get moving, so bit by bit I added about a 1/2 cup of the additional 1 cup of water until I got the results I needed. During her later years, she moved from New England to Los Angeles because the weather was nicer. Case in point, I am too tired to cook tonight because I have had to go to three different stores, in three different directions, requiring me to wait in traffic in order to get the tights, shoes, bun covers, and leotards that my three children have to have in order to participate in ballet class. Reading a post such as this, Im reminded how important it is to celebrate every great food moment. I ended up adding a tablespoon or so of additional flour or cutting back just a touch on the liquid and that was enough to make them look more muffiny without drying them out too much. I meant for future termsI know you have more stories stored up, dont ya? As she got older, she complained that food didnt have any flavor anymore. I hate it when a great book ends. *smacks forehead* They are so easy to prepare make them on the same day. I didnt have the last 1/2 c. of raisins, and tossed in a couple of tablespoons of chopped walnuts. I substituted Bobs Red Mill whole grain hot cereal (a mix of wheat bran, oat bran, flax, and I forget what else) for the wheat bran. As is, they are delicious, so no complaints, but I thought Id add to the conversation about temperature. The muffins sound quite healthy, relatively speaking, tooits funny how decadent bran muffins can seemalthough Im sure that the fact I really enjoy them most with a pat of butter tends to cancel out the health halo. I am a VERY novice baker. Where did you get the lovley orange moka maker from? Id taken buses and walked to the bakery early in the morning to meet up with the said friend for a coffee and some morning fix of pastries and a pile of other stuff to take home with me. I was scarred about 20 years ago by a bad bran muffin in a coffee shop, goodness it was just awful; but Im thinking if youve recommended these they must be good, maybe the time has come to try again Grandma sounds like she was a hoot! Theyre a little on the sweet side, but they had a dense, moist texture from the bran and raisin puree. Lovely story David. Just to let you know, your coffee granita and chocolate sorbet recipes have received rave reviews at our house this summer after making several guest appearances as a dessert duo. I also have many fond memories of my grandmothers house, and I am lucky enough to still have her. Now my kids are able to go to Grandmas house when they want to.
Now theres a character. And yes, increasing the temperature of the stove did help them rise a little bit more. I never realized at the time what a huge impact she would have on my life. Along with Lindsey Shere and you, she is my go to pastry chef for recipes. I know nowadays theres white whole wheat flour, but Im happy with the hearty taste of whole wheat, and the additional health benefits, too. Coming from SF your thoughts are truly humorous. I found your recipe online and just finished eating my results. Bran muffins usually sound too healthy for me :P but with your endorsement, Ill definitely be making them. how you can make bran muffins sound like the one thing ive been dying for my whole life is beyond me, but I will have to try this recipe. I so enjoy your blog. A huge discount store in Paris that has a lot of junk that you have to sift through (so, of course, I love it), but sometimes you can find a treasure in there.
David, you mentioned the muffins should be mounded in the center, but how full should the tin be of batter? However, the muffins did have completely flat tops. (I dumped out the batter, wiped out the muffin tin, and added the dry ingredients before baking no harm done.). Ive made lots of wheat bran muffins with an enormous recipe. Last month I convinced my husband to buy me a kitchenaid mixer and promised him that if he did, I would make sure there was baking in the house every day. I should also note that my grandmother was a persnickety eater and would only eat food that was fresh, and really good. But there is all that wheat germ, which provides some stability. (*(*, with 8 children and 1 bath. Have you gotten around to testing the recipe with more flour? Both were great cooks and made great meals no matter what else they had going on. Haha, great post. Its a keeper anyway. Sign up for my newsletter and get my FREE guidebook to the best bakeries and pastry shops in Paris buttermilk or plain low- or non-fat yogurt. Oh and I always thought that she was a great cook turns out not so much. That is priceless.. j & sofia: I would not use fresh blueberries in this as the batter depends on the pureed raisins for moisture, and fresh blueberries have too much water. Okay David, I just made these and had to come here and tell you that they were superb. My batch is still in the oven, so its just a theory. Thanks! Your line about the Lalique glasses made me laugh. Images of what she baked and how she tended her garden are always with me. Love reading about your grandma! Charissa: I love that story, too! Thanks for sharing this story. . and I love the story about your Grandmother. Really great post. I might not put as much orange in next time the flavour is good but maybe the recipe isnt quite sweet enough to handle the orange rind and my husband wants to put jam on them so the orange may not go. Write on. I have been such a slacker this summer you have now inspired me to do better. Hi Lori: I was thinking of adding more flour the next time I made them, just to see. I made them exactly as per the recipe, except for baking at 200C and using plain flour instead of whole wheat flour. Delicious! Thanks for sharing the muffin recipe. I do like the orange stove-top one, though. Theyre very tasty, not exactly light in texture but still somewhat fluffy not dense and theyre moist. Thanks for highlighting the recipe, now I really cant wait! Ill have to try this recipe-Im not so sure Ive ever had a bran muffin that I actually liked. I have an old faithful, but may be willing to stray. I met Nancy when she was the pastry chef at Spago, before she went off on her own to open La Brea Bakery and Campanile restaurant. Heavenly! Hi David, Just what I wanted, a recipe for healthy muffins. Wonderful entry to the blog, Davidyour personal stories and sense of humor are what make this blog great. Now if theyd mention that as an excuse, perhaps theyd get a little bit more support outta me. Your grandmother sounds like a great lady. Love all your posts, food related and other. A previous poster had questioned using oat bran instead of wheat bran. Also came out a bit flat, even though I started them off at 375 F. They were a little wet (probably should have added more flour knowing I was using extra large eggs), but delicious. I think adding a bit less liquid was the ticket, but I didnt want to mess with her recipe too much since it tastes pretty darn good as it is and theyre so light. They have such great flavor and texture. I did put the heat to 360 since Im at fairly high altitude. hey, what happened to your espresso machine?
I aspire to be just like her in my advancing years! (The burned edges were my own dumb doing.) After she finished off the one she was eating, she rambled through the bag looking for another. (At least once in a while, whenever I get a continuous hour or two at home when Im not completely exhausted.). I baked them at 375 degrees, not 400, for a total of 18 minutes. No dinner. I think your story about her is terrific, especially her retort about the Lalique glasses. My grandmother was just like yours, sassy and took no ! My fiances son and grandson are coming to visit in a couple of weeks and I think Ill give these a go for breakfast during their stay. Her morning ritual is a memory I will cherish. Im an amateur cook, so this question may seem obvious, but would this work well with fresh blueberries? What a beautiful tribute to your grandma. The muffins came out delicious and very figgy-tasting. Increasing the temperature to 400 degrees didnt make mine any more domed on the top than yours were. And to think it will live on in all our minds as well. Its that good. They look terrific! Thanks for this glimpse of your salty grandma and for the very tempting bran muffin recipe. :) I cant imagine doing all the cooking I do without my KitchenAid or food processor. I just loved this story! Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Cant wait to make those lovely muffins (Ill try some chopped dates instead of rasins, theyve been sitting in my fridge begging for a batter bath). Beautiful post enough to get a long time lurker to leave a comment! Thanks for sharing. LOVE it. :), One of my biggest regrets upon leaving LA was not being able to try the pizza at Mozza, I read such rave reviews, but alas I never made it. And bran isnt really a aprt of the diet.
And they did have a great flavor. I just wanted to second two questions that have already been asked: Its amazing what people had time to do back then, maybe we are on the computer too much or something?
Because great food can truly can change a persons life. I admire Nancy Silverton and her fastidiousness re baking, so I did not play with the volume of the liquids, or the flours. I have a job and two kids at home :-) Ill try the muffins this weekend. Those look amazing (like real muffins, not just unfrosted cupcakes!) Loved this story. I dont like liverwurst! I whined. I soaked the toasted bran in the yogurt mixture for at least half an hour, and I followed all the other instructions to a T. Im thinking that I may need to up the flour to 3/4 cup (my dough looked a lot wetter than the dough in your pictures) and the baking powder to 1 1/2 teaspoons, but Im not sure if that would be enough to remedy the problem. This is to be my ONLY bran muffin recipe. More Grandma Lebovitz stories please. When adding the water with the buttermilk, I added only 3/4 cup water instead of 1 cup, because of some commenters feeling this was too much liquid. I think Ill make them again, and I like your addition of whole wheat flour. David this is a really beautifully written post! I want to keep it going for as long as possible. hello David, im a recently new visitor to your blog, and I have to tell you that your personal stories and sense of humor are what make this blog great. Oh and on your new book. Then, I forgot to add the remaining 1/2 cup of water to the recipe but the muffins were still incredibly moist. The chocolate banana muffins in La Brea Pastries are also wonderful-rich moist dark chocolate..hmmmm. Which was a good thing, because she sure loved to eat. Great recipe. Enquiring minds wish to know: are you drinking your vin ordinaire out of Lalique glasses? Another person in Los Angeles whos a great cook is Nancy Silverton. I tried baking the muffins at 400 degrees. Based on a quick read, this recipe reminds me of one I was given by a friends mother, originating in WW2, the story goes. I just ordered Silvertons Pastries from the La Brea Bakery cookbook along with my copy of The Sweet Life in Paris. Emily: Ive not made them without raisins. Spread the wheat bran on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for six to eight minutes, stirring a few times so it cooks evenly. Loved the story. (Gulp!) Stir until the ingredients are just combined, then mix in the remaining 1/2 cup (55g) raisins. So far, I have held to my promise and today was bran muffin day. My grandmother ate the same thing almost every day, which seems pretty odd to me now. Louisa: I would, except I dont use that kind of language on the blog. Oh my God, this is so moistand has so much flavor!. My mother complains that foods have lost some of their flavor, and she doesnt smoke or drink. and I live in a two-room apartment, drink 3 bottles of vin ordinaire, and have to take my laundry down to the Seine and beat it on a rock with a stick. Yes, but youre doing it in Paris, LOL. After simmering the raisins, I pureed them with about 1/4 cup of the buttermilk/water mixture; it works better with the extra liquid. Even if Nancy Silverton had not started one of the greatest bakeries and revolutionized supermarket breads, she should be forever immortalized as the baker who made Julia Child cry on camera. There are some beautiful pastries about, but good bread, non-processed and sweetened bread, is somewhat hard to find. . Lovely warm post David. Your grandmother sounded like a hoot. Thanks to Nancys great work ethic, vision and passion for baking, I realized that a woman with passiona woman with enough jou-jou to make a bran muffin sexycould do anything. I found when I pureed the raisins they had tiny tiny seeds that just didnt get pureed. I made these muffins last weekend and they did turn out flat, but that didnt stop them from being devoured! I think they are fantastic and my husband does too. A hit with friends and family. I will be making these muffins, too, now that youve pointed them out. They came out perfect, barring one small mistake which I guess is my oversight. I forgot the 1/2 tsp. vanilla Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins feel set in the center. My grandmother (who turned 90 this year) has been making a batch of bran muffins for YEARS and baking and eating just one every morning. your smartly written posts and your links guided me during the four days i just spent in paris. I love sassy Grandmas and the visual of you beating your laundry with a stick. She lived to be almost 100. Darn! :). Did you know they sell La Brea bread in Sainsburys and Tescos in England? Fortunately Nancy took pity on me and thinking that my grandmother, who I stayed with in LA was old and frail, would load me up with all sorts of breads, scones, cookies, and muffins to bring home to poor ol grandma. I just ordered both the La Brea bread book and the Pastry book last week after borrowing them from the library. As always, thanks, David. I would love to hang out with her in her kitchen! David, what a lovely post! Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, making sure the batter is mounded slightly in each one. I will have to dredge it up in my files and compareYour grandma was a hoot to read about, thanks! This looks like a very interesting recipe, but there really is a lot of liquid in there for the amount of flour. I was looking for a hearty muffin to eat for breakfast before the upcoming bar exam. Bet your grandmother adored you too;) And the muffins look delicious. Youve made me miss my sweet grandma and her sister more than ever. Im trying to find a place in my home library to keep Sweet Life Cookbooks?Philosophy?Travel?Humor?Classics? Finished The Sweet Life in Paris about two weeks ago and totally loved it. Lena: I got it at Tati. They did not rise any higher. Categories: David's Favorite Posts Extras Recipes, Tags: bran muffins Campanile Chesterfields Chivas La Brea Bakery Lalique Los Angeles Mozza muffins Nancy Silverton raisons recipes Spago. Theyre wonderful. They are nothing short of delicious AND moist. I made a batch with raisins and pecans mixed in and liked those better, but then I tend to like fruit, nuts, and/or chocolate added to anything. now, mozza is one of my favorite haunts, a place i love to drop into on a saturday afternoon, grab a seat at the bar, and order the caprese salad and some marrow bones. Well, the only thing poor about her was that I ate half the loot in the car on the way back to her house. Ive been looking for a great bran muffin recipe for a while now, so Im really looking forward to trying this! Then I have to get them all to ballet and everyone goes at a different time! My granny was deaf, called me Sidney instead of Cyndy, and dribbled food down her chin. Baking time, 21 minutes. I told someone today that I have been obsessed with making ice cream (your fault by the way loved The Sweet Life, so I bought The Perfect Scoop) and they said I wish I had that kind of free time. I didnt have fresh oranges, but I had homemade candied orange peel in the freezer and used some slivers of that. I did make one small change: vanilla extract. David, I just finished your memoir. The muffins were definitely moister than the Claim Jumper clones and I think they had a better (lower, in this case) level of sweetness. Theyre both very good, but different, and Ill use both recipes in the future. My assistant (quite a foodie) inhaled the muffin I brought for her and declared it creamy. Did follow your advice on 400 degrees and did in 93 loaf pans (2) for 27 minutes. Very moist and flavorful. Apparently its made in Ireland. They turned out looking exactly like yours. I just made these this morning. I wish I could meet your grandmother. But my aunt! My favorite-ever episode of Baking With Julia was when Silverton prepared her stunning Brioche Tart With Apricots and Custard Cream and, during the tasting scene at the end, Julia actually teared up and was briefly speechless, before warbling Its a dessert to cry for!. Im not much of a bran muffin fan, but if Maida Heatter (and your grandmother) say theyre the best, then I had to give them a chance. Regardless it is a very nice recipe. Even back then, Id be able to buy some of their bread at my local supermarkets on a remote(ish) island of Hawaii, but finding myself in their original location was magical.
One muffin needs 30-60 seconds (depending on your microwaves power) to revive it to near-fresh bake condition. Sue me, I think its good! Breakfast was 4 pieces of bacon, 2 eggs fried in bacon grease, toast and several cups of seriously strong black coffee. Fast forward to today.
Judi: Whats funny is that no one ever complains about the time it takes to clean up. I thought they counted as liquids, but I noticed you listed it under grams. Yes, you can cook, your baking is extraordinaire but your writing is what keeps us all tuned in. What a great post about your grandmother.
What a marvelous woman. Just made the muffins last night. How lucky you were to have a grandmother like that. I had just one cup of raisins and no orange zest, so I added a bit of vanilla bean powder instead. This is after completing my own work day and we havent even gotten home to tackle that beastly bear called homework. This is a typical modern day life, nothing is convenient and the driving, driving, driving is enough to kill the strongest of mothers. They were definitely moist, though. Theres a little planning but please its 10 minutes and then heaven. No wonder the batter seemed watery. Nancys recipes are always spot on. Thank you for sharing her story and thank you for this recipe. While the bran is toasting, heat 1 cup (135g) of the raisins with 1/2 cup (120ml) of the water. Now I miss my grandmother or as I affectionately called her you old bat. I dont know if my grandmother loved to cook, but she was certainly good at it. You had me laughing out loud and giggling like a school girl with this post. at the time, it felt like an insult, but after reading some of your archived posts, i think also very much in the uncle charlie style, i see what a compliment it truly was. I have a job and two kids at home I think of my grandmother, that had four kids, opened and ran a huge five-story furniture store which she worked in every day with her husband. I just wonder if I can replace the wheat bran for oat bran. I believe behind every great cook is a great grandma. I find that w.w. pastry flour is a great substitute for white flour in most muffins, pancakes, and other non-yeast quickbreads. Thank you. or add nuts instead? Thanks for the great post! I, too, am a busy working mom with little time to cook. Its been a long time since I made that recipe, or ate it, but I remember it being not too sweet but very moist and flavorful, also. Puree the raisins in a food processor or blender until smooth. (Although normally I test recipes with both, but theres only so many bran muffins a guy can handle!). Richard Lenoir. My kids, even the picky eater enjoyed them as well. Inspired, I made your Dulce de Leche Brownies this afternoon and they are just great! Im sure she contributed immensely to your love of food. . Especially the clean scoop alongside. It added a bit of flavor without making it sweeter. I might cook them this way on purpose next time. Ive always had a fondness for bran muffins and am looking forward to trying out the recipe! But dont; maybe its the density of the bran or the wheat flour, but theyre a delicious way to enjoy them well after baking day. That recipe didnt have any sugar, and was sweetened with raisin puree. Thanks! They are delicious though! My minor faux pas, David.havent read the book yet but certainly will. I made these this morning and while I LOVE the flavors, they didnt rise hardly at all (and I baked them at 400 degrees). Lunch was stewed chicken wings (think cheap meat), with carrots and celery and frozen English peas. Light and not so sweet sounds like my kind of muffins! Will keep trying. Would I need to do anything differently? I like that type of bran muffin that seems like its probably going to fix every single thing thats wrong with you. True story: Nancy Silverton changed my life. And yes, Im going for my third one now. Its a recipe which has honey in the title, but doesnt call for honey. When people tell me, I dont have time to cook. I only allow myself several pages a day. I am venturing a guess that if there was a higher ratio of white flour, there might be a better rise. . I made that batch in ramekins because I was out of muffin-tin space. I used to use a bran muffin recipe that came out looking a lot like the ones pictured here: very, very moist and kinda flat on the top. Get my newsletter for a tasty mix of food, Paris, life, and travel! Or because she smoked two packs of non-filter Chesterfields per day her entire life, and enjoyed quite a few slugs of Chivas in the Lalique glasses she got on her honeymoon; So what if I break one? she said to me, when I protested part of my inheritance was going to get dropped, You get one less when Im gonetoo bad!, But after she took one bite out of her first bran muffin from Nancy, she was blown-away by how good it was. Thanks for sharing the recipe and the story. A perfect end to a summer meal. I dont know if that was because food was indeed losing its flavor as more processed became a part of our lives, or because she was getting old. Ill be a crusty muffin! Great post. I do have the Nancy Silvertons pastry book but never tried the bran muffins. I love Nancy (I worked for her at Mozza and freelance for La Brea Bakery as a writer) and always love to hear stories about how her incredible baking skills have touched other people. I come from a part of the world where baking isnt a big thing. Keep up the awesome work- its always a treat to read your blog. Somehow given the appearance of wheat bran, one suspects that the muffins are going to taste of woodchips but what a pleasant surprise! -oven- I think being a good cook does that to you. Thanks! Thank you! Im Planning to be in Paris in October, (no, I wont call you), I appreciate your Mes Bonnes Adresses. I used two teaspoons of baking powder, I grated an entire orange rind and put all of the scrapings in the mix (I love orange peel), a teaspoon of vanilla and I put two tablespoons more flour in the recipe than what was called for oh, and I only used one type of flour whole wheat pastry flour. Oh your grandmother sounds fantastic! David, was my comment on FB yesterday an inspiration for this line I dont have time to cook. Terrific recipe! The only thing I would try to fix is that the centres of the muffins are a bit too wet and almost have a pudding like texture, maybe Ill try to reduce the liquid the next time. I know I sound like a broken record, but . Simmer for ten minutes, or until the water is all absorbed. Should I alter amounts of other ingredients? great post! Despite that, the muffins were still pretty good. Nice memories so often are interrelated with food! Fern: Yes, the batter is quite light. But letting it soak a bit might be an interesting thing to try. I couldnt bare to go through that experience again. Beautifully written! I loved this recipe and tried it literally a couple of hours ago. You will by then! If you do try it, let us know how it works out. I do not understand when people say they dont have time to cook a few minutes here, a few minutes there, and you get good food. I have always hesitated to make bran muffins, but your post has convinced me I ought to try this out, once at least. I had filled a few spaces in the muffin tin before I remembered you had said something about adding extra baking powder. She replied, I dont like your a! Apparently she didnt care if I told on her since my mother/her sister pushed her over a hill in her baby buggy on purpose. Im fairly new to baking and am eternally looking for healthier options. I had several eccentric characters in my family and appreciate their uniqueness (more now than I did then).
Hi! one of my first comments about la when i moved here from new york was, whats with the horrible bread, then nancy silverton opened la brea bakery and life in southern california changed forever. it was a practice my french trip and your anecdotes about life a paris helped me confidently explore the city like a local. My husband, dog, and I are coming to Paris for 6 months in December and staying on bld. Interesting note: the first time I made them, the raisins would not puree in the blender; they just didnt have enough liquid to get moving, so bit by bit I added about a 1/2 cup of the additional 1 cup of water until I got the results I needed. During her later years, she moved from New England to Los Angeles because the weather was nicer. Case in point, I am too tired to cook tonight because I have had to go to three different stores, in three different directions, requiring me to wait in traffic in order to get the tights, shoes, bun covers, and leotards that my three children have to have in order to participate in ballet class. Reading a post such as this, Im reminded how important it is to celebrate every great food moment. I ended up adding a tablespoon or so of additional flour or cutting back just a touch on the liquid and that was enough to make them look more muffiny without drying them out too much. I meant for future termsI know you have more stories stored up, dont ya? As she got older, she complained that food didnt have any flavor anymore. I hate it when a great book ends. *smacks forehead* They are so easy to prepare make them on the same day. I didnt have the last 1/2 c. of raisins, and tossed in a couple of tablespoons of chopped walnuts. I substituted Bobs Red Mill whole grain hot cereal (a mix of wheat bran, oat bran, flax, and I forget what else) for the wheat bran. As is, they are delicious, so no complaints, but I thought Id add to the conversation about temperature. The muffins sound quite healthy, relatively speaking, tooits funny how decadent bran muffins can seemalthough Im sure that the fact I really enjoy them most with a pat of butter tends to cancel out the health halo. I am a VERY novice baker. Where did you get the lovley orange moka maker from? Id taken buses and walked to the bakery early in the morning to meet up with the said friend for a coffee and some morning fix of pastries and a pile of other stuff to take home with me. I was scarred about 20 years ago by a bad bran muffin in a coffee shop, goodness it was just awful; but Im thinking if youve recommended these they must be good, maybe the time has come to try again Grandma sounds like she was a hoot! Theyre a little on the sweet side, but they had a dense, moist texture from the bran and raisin puree. Lovely story David. Just to let you know, your coffee granita and chocolate sorbet recipes have received rave reviews at our house this summer after making several guest appearances as a dessert duo. I also have many fond memories of my grandmothers house, and I am lucky enough to still have her. Now my kids are able to go to Grandmas house when they want to.
Now theres a character. And yes, increasing the temperature of the stove did help them rise a little bit more. I never realized at the time what a huge impact she would have on my life. Along with Lindsey Shere and you, she is my go to pastry chef for recipes. I know nowadays theres white whole wheat flour, but Im happy with the hearty taste of whole wheat, and the additional health benefits, too. Coming from SF your thoughts are truly humorous. I found your recipe online and just finished eating my results. Bran muffins usually sound too healthy for me :P but with your endorsement, Ill definitely be making them. how you can make bran muffins sound like the one thing ive been dying for my whole life is beyond me, but I will have to try this recipe. I so enjoy your blog. A huge discount store in Paris that has a lot of junk that you have to sift through (so, of course, I love it), but sometimes you can find a treasure in there.