Cranberry Bran Muffins

 Cranberry Bran Muffins

1 cup quick cooking oats  

½ cup All Bran cereal

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup boiling water

1 cup low-fat milk

1 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup dark brown sugar 

1 large egg  

 ¼ cup light canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

 1¼ cups all-purpose flour    

1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. (I’ve found the foil ones “release” the muffin better than the paper ones.)

In a bowl, combine the oats, bran cereal, and salt. Pour boiling water over and stir. Add milk and cranberries, stir and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and lemon peel. Stir into bran mixture.

 In a large bowl stir together flour and baking soda.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir just until blended. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin pan.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out dry.

Cranberries contain a natural antibiotic substance that makes the bladder wall inhospitable to the organisms responsible for urinary tract infections. Commercial juice is often too diluted to be effective.  Making your own juice with fresh cranberries and apples is a great way to get all of the available vitamins, and bioflavonoids to support your good health.