Honey bran muffins

This muffin will steal your heart 

Confession: I love honey bran muffins. Call me crazy, but I would probably choose a bran muffin over the ever-popular blueberry muffin. I don't know what it is! The texture, the flavor, the fact that they're not cakey or too sweet... Okay, it's probably all of those things combined, which is why I needed to have a way to make them at home whenever my heart desires. Well I found a very easy recipe (no electric mixer needed!) that turned out great. Think you're not that into bran? Try these and then come talk to me.

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HONEY BRAN MUFFINS
**Makes 12 muffins**

WHAT YOU'LL NEED: 
GLAZE
3 TBS sugar
3 TBS brown sugar
3 TBS softened butter
2 TBS honey
2 tsp water, plus more if needed

MUFFIN BATTER
1 cup flour
1 cup wheat bran 
4 tsp dry milk powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 TBS molasses
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup water

WHAT YOU'LL DO: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To start, make the glaze by mixing all of the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. *Note: The glaze is more like a paste, so I added an extra splash of water.

2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, wheat bran, dry milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, honey, molasses, vegetable oil, egg, and water until combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. 

4. In a muffin tin, brush glaze on the bottom and sides of each muffin cup. *Note: The original recipe calls for placing 1 TBS of glaze in each cup, then brushing it around — I did not use nearly as much glaze and the muffins still turned out with a wonderfully sweet outer crust. 

5. Pour the batter into each muffin cup, filling the cups 2/3 of the way. Don't fill them all the way — they rise a lot while baking. Bake for 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean (I would start checking them at 15 minutes). Invert immediately onto a cooling rack covered with foil or waxed paper and allow to cool.

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The glaze gives these muffins a sweet crust when you eat them right out of the oven — it's a really awesome texture. On day 2, the muffins are a touch tougher, but that didn't stop Adam and I from each having two for breakfast and having to restrain ourselves from going back for thirds. Yes, the crunchy crust is gone on day 2, but the muffins' sweet outside is still plenty wonderful.