VEGAN MORNING MUFFINS

I came across this recipe in a recent edition of the Globe and Mail newspaper.  The story wasn't focussed as much on the muffins but the person who makes these muffins - Kathleen Edwards. She is a singer-songwriter who has opened up her own coffee shop.  These muffins are quick to make and you can add items to them based on your preferences - from bananas to nuts to dried fruit to frozen berries to coconut.  The recipe calls for applesauce.  The only applesauce I had was frozen so I substituted cranberry sauce that I had made earlier in the week.  I also added shredded unsweetened coconut to the recipe.  One ingredient made me pause.  The recipe calls for two tablespoons of vanilla extract.  I would think it would have been two teaspoons but I followed the recipe and added the tablespoons.  The muffins tasted fine with that amount of vanilla extract.  Instead of sugar I used 1/3 cup of splenda.  I used regular bran instead of the red bran that the recipe calls for.  The muffins taste healthy.

INGREDIENTS:

Dry:
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cup red bran
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp baking powder
dash of salt

Wet:
2 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup almond milk. Add a tbsp of apple cider vinegar and let curdle for five minutes before adding to the wet ingredients.

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.  Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine with a spatula.  Choose one to three of the following items to add to the mixed batter: 2 to 3 ripe mashed ripe bananas; 1/4 cup dried and diced dates, apricots, cranberries, raisins, cranberries, frozen berries, seeds, chopped nuts or shredded coconut.  Combine your choice into the batter.   Add batter to non-stick muffin tin.  I like to use muffin paper liners to make it easier to lift the muffins out of the individual muffin cups.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 22 to 25 minutes.  Makes 12 to 14 muffins.