Mom's bran muffins

My mother used to make these muffins when we were young. They were the best.

I still make them all the time, and every time I do they seem to be a bit different.

The recipe below makes about 24 muffins (actually I made 23, and probably could have made 22 as they weren't that big). You could halve the recipe if you only want 12 muffins.

Today when I made them, I wanted to use up some crumbs from some finished bran flakes, and from some mini wheat cereals. Otherwise the crumbs would just go into the garbage. Who wants to eat cereal crumbs with milk? It would just get mushy and mushy makes me want to gag.

So I just poured the crumbs into a measuring cup and I had 1 3/4 cups of the crumbs. I substituted those crumbs for the equivalent amount of bran in the recipe. Mom would be proud. She never wasted anything.

Mix together in medium bowl
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups high-fibre bran cereal
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups raisins (Or not if your name is Johanna or Jennifer. Maybe substitute walnuts?)

Mix together in large bowl
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup molasses
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I usually just sour milk with vinegar but today I actually had buttermilk)

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until mixed.

Spoon into 24 paper lined muffin pans.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Raisin Oatmeal Banana Muffins

When we went to Ireland in 2013, one of the restaurants there served a great banana bread with dinner. It was so good. So when I came home I sent them an email asking them for their recipe.

Below is an adaptation of that recipe (sorry I can never leave a recipe alone). The original recipe included cinnamon and raisins, which I had never seen before in a banana bread recipe.

My recipe below maintains those two ingredients, and in this version, I also changed the recipe to include oats. I have to say I have a hard time not including raisins, oats and cinnamon in many of my recipes. I also reduced the amount of fat that was in the original recipe and exchanged some of the white flour for whole wheat.

Mix into medium bowl:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp of cinnamon
1 1/2 cups raisins

Mix into large bowl:
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup of buttermilk or soured milk
1/2 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups mashed bananas

Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix just until moistened.

Scoop into lined muffin pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 until a toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 21 muffins. You could probably make 24 muffins, they would be a bit smaller.

Applesauce oatmeal raisins muffins

I had to use up some applesauce so I came up with this recipe.

These muffins are very moist. The raisins could be replaced with 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or nuts, since some people don't like raisins. Hard to believe but true.

2 cups of quick oats
2 cups unsweetened apple sauce
2 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (next time I'd use 2/3 cup)

1 cup all purpose flour or whole wheat if you have it.
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (next time I'd use 2 tsp)
1 cup raisins

Mix first five ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix remainder of ingredients into a small bowl.

Add dry ingredients to wet and incorporate.

12 muffins at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean.

Oatmeal banana raisin muffins (not muffin cookies)

We're in Victoria, British Columbia. Our escape from the cold that is Ottawa. Which at the moment isn't so cold. I'm glad for Ottawa. But even gladder for us.

We are in a lovely two bedroom condo downtown. Where it's 13 degrees and oh so pleasant. Tons of coffee shops, flowers and sunshine. All gifts straight from God.

Made muffins yesterday. We had eaten a cookie muffin in a coffee shop and it was so yummy, I decided I needed to make some. I'd never heard of "cookie muffins", or maybe it was "muffin cookies", before. They are dense like cookies, but look like muffins.

I googled for a recipe, but couldn't find much, so found a recipe, and modified it. It didn't look or taste like what we'd eaten, but it was still yummy.

I did get a lot of pinterest recipes pop up. But every time I clicked on them, it wanted me to log in or create an account. You know what? I don't want to created an account. I just want the stupid muffin recipe. But no. We can't give it to you if you don't have an account.

I promise you I won't make you log in to get my recipe.

And of course I don't remember the name of the coffee shop we found the muffins, so I doubt it if we could ever find it again. Or maybe we will.

Here's what I made.

2 cups large flake oats
2 cups skim milk
1 cup raisins
1/2 packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 mashed banana

Soak oats in milk in a large bowl. Add egg and beat. Add oil (next time I'll try 1/4 cup oil) and brown sugar. Add mashed banana. Mix it all up.

In a small bowl add flour (if I had whole wheat flour I would have used that instead), baking soda, salt and cinnamon and raisins. Stir to incorporate.

Add flour mixture to wet mixture and blend together. Scoop mixture into a greased 12 muffin pan.

Cook at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

I didn't have muffin liners so had to spray olive oil in the muffin pan which is fine, except now the clean up job was a pain in the butt, since you have to clean out each individual muffin area afterwards. I also didn't have any toothpicks so used a twist tie to test for doneness. It worked.

It just occurred to me. Maybe if I had only used 1 cup of milk instead of 2, maybe I'd have actually made the muffin cookie recipe?

The pictures below are from our balcony. They're not the muffins.

Tim Hortons responds

I received a response to my letter to Tim Horton's. Notice how they still don't address my issue of too much salt and nutritionally devoid baked products, etc.

Why do I bother?

UPDATE: In order to follow the chronology to this email exchange, I am now posting my original letter and Tims' original response. Remember. This all occurred AFTER I spoke to them on two previous occasions last year.

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July 14, 2014

Dear Tims,

I feel the need once again to comment on your products. I would far prefer to be positive, but unfortunately I'm having difficulty.

First of all it seems that Tim's isn't making the bran muffin anymore. My husband has been eating this muffin every Sunday morning with his coffee for at least 10 years. He hasn't been happy about this. Mind you the muffin has too much fat (12 grams) and sugar (37 grams) anyway, but he does like it. And now he can't get it.

Second, I tried the strawberry shortcake muffin and was very disappointed. It tasted like a fattening piece of pink and white cake with some strawberry jam in the middle, and not pure jam. I don't mean to be harsh but it is what it is. And I don't know the nutritional content of this muffin because it's not posted. Tastes similar to the fruit explosion muffin which I tasted many years ago. I wasn't impressed with that either.

Third, we have stopped eating breakfast at Tim's on Saturday mornings. The breakfast sandwiches were just too salty. We've switched to McDonald's. Their egg Mcmuffin and sausage egg Mcmuffin taste better than Tim's. I also like McDonald's decaf coffee better that Tim's.

I really wish Tim's would start making more nutritious muffins with less fat and sugar.

------------------------------------------
Tim's first response, July 23, 2014

Thank you for contacting us with your input.  We are happy to arrange a call to discuss your feedback, at your convenience.  Please let us know what date and time works for you.

Regards,

---------------------------------
My response, July 24, 2014

Dear Tims,

I'm not sure what another phone call can accomplish. I have spoken to you twice now, and both times I have felt that my concerns have not been adequately addressed.

I get the feeling that although you receive my concerns in writing, that Tims is loathe to respond to my concerns in writing. I am guessing it is because it is easier to placate people with platitudes over the phone, since platitudes don't work as well when written down. Maybe I'm wrong.

I am still of the opinion that there is way too much sodium content in your products, and your muffins are full of sugar and fat, with little if any nutritional value.

I went to dinner last night with a good friend. Her husband had a severe heart attack in January. She was telling me that sometimes after her numerous doctor appointments she must drive her husband to because of his severe heart damage, she occasionally would like to just pick up some take out food since she is too exhausted to cook. There isn't one single take out place where she can go and purchase this that isn't laden with salt. I realize that Tim's is just one of many such places, but it is the one I am most familiar with considering that over the years we have spent literally thousands of dollars at your restaurants.

I sent you my cook book which has numerous healthy nutritional muffin ideas and a granola bar recipe that are extremely tasty, low fat and high fibre. These are examples of what can be done with baked goods if one tries. I came up with these recipes in a tiny kitchen because I cared. Surely Tim's with hundreds of staff, and your many nutritionists, dietitians, cooks, with the benefit of large industrial sized kitchens, can come up with some nutritional recipes for its billions of customers? Instead I see donuts with sugary sprinkles, coloured gobs of icing in fancy shapes, and muffins with next to zero nutritional value.

I use all kinds of real wholesome ingredients in my baking like bananas, pineapple, apple sauce, raisins, oat bran, whole wheat, spelt, and lots of rolled oats. Recently I've been experimenting with using soy flour and gluten free flour. I do all this in my tiny kitchen with no staff. Is Tims experimenting in this way in their large kitchens? I see no sign of it.

I would love to see some concrete changes made to Tims nutritional values of its baked goods, or at the very least, alternatives to your existing baked products. I understand Tim's need to sell product, but when all the new baked goods I see are all very pretty, colourful, sugar and fat laden donuts and muffins devoid of any nutrition, I don't see how you and I talking about this will do anything to further real change at your restaurants. You are well aware of my thoughts on the subject.

I would be happy to know if and when Tims decides to do something about providing its customers with some real nutritional alternatives.

Thanks.

-----------------------------------
Tim's response July 28, 2014

I am happy to respond to you in writing as requested below.

At Tim Horton’s, we pursue a greater lens towards Nutrition Health and Wellness, ensuring that we have menu offerings that enable Guests to make “balanced” choices, will be at the heart of what we do.

Whether it’s a side salad instead of warm kettle chips for a lunch combo or a Timbit flavor that meets the need for a moment of indulgence– we will be ensuring that we have foods that meet both the delicious and nutritious end of the spectrum.  This includes foods that include the presence of good ingredients (i.e. fruits and vegetables, protein and whole grains), as well as looking at where the “reduction of negatives” can be incorporated ( i.e. sodium etc.).  Tim’s has done much good work thus far in these areas, i.e. Muffins, we removed High Fructose Corn Syrup, preservatives and artificial flavor, but there is still a lot more opportunity and innovation that we have incorporated into our plans.

Mrs. Maloney, I hope that my response confirms Tim Horton’s commitment to Nutrition, Health and Wellness.

Thank you as always for your valuable feedback.

Regards,

Does Tim Hortons care about the nutritional value of their food?

I have been corresponding with Tim Hortons on the nutritional value, or lack thereof, of their baked goods. Also about the sodium content of their food. I originally sent them a cook book I self published. This prompted them calling me, and I now have spoken to them twice. I recently sent them another email, which they responded with another request to talk to me by phone. Here is my reply to them.

-----------

Dear Tims,

I'm not sure what another phone call can accomplish. I have spoken to you twice now, and both times I have felt that my concerns have not been adequately addressed.

I get the feeling that although you receive my concerns in writing, that Tims is loathe to respond to my concerns in writing. I am guessing it is because it is easier to placate people with platitudes over the phone, since platitudes don't work as well when written down. Maybe I'm wrong.

I am still of the opinion that there is way too much sodium content in your products, and your muffins are full of sugar and fat, with little if any nutritional value.

I went to dinner last night with a good friend. Her husband had a severe heart attack in January. She was telling me that sometimes after her numerous doctor appointments she must drive her husband to because of his severe heart damage, she occasionally would like to just pick up some take out food since she is too exhausted to cook. There isn't one single take out place where she can go and purchase this that isn't laden with salt. I realize that Tim's is just one of many such places, but it is the one I am most familiar with considering that over the years we have spent literally thousands of dollars at your restaurants.

I sent you my cook book which has numerous healthy nutritional muffin ideas and a granola bar recipe that are extremely tasty, low fat and high fibre. These are examples of what can be done with baked goods if one tries. I came up with these recipes in a tiny kitchen because I cared. Surely Tim's with hundreds of staff, and your many nutritionists, dietitians, cooks, with the benefit of large industrial sized kitchens, can come up with some nutritional recipes for its billions of customers? Instead I see donuts with sugary sprinkles, coloured gobs of icing in fancy shapes, and muffins with next to zero nutritional value.

I use all kinds of real wholesome ingredients in my baking like bananas, pineapple, apple sauce, raisins, oat bran, whole wheat, spelt, and lots of rolled oats. Recently I've been experimenting with using soy flour and gluten free flour. I do all this in my tiny kitchen with no staff. Is Tims experimenting in this way in their large kitchens? I see no sign of it.

I would love to see some concrete changes made to Tims nutritional values of its baked goods, or at the very least, alternatives to your existing baked products. I understand Tim's need to sell product, but when all the new baked goods I see are all very pretty, colourful, sugar and fat laden donuts and muffins devoid of any nutrition, I don't see how you and I talking about this will do anything to further real change at your restaurants. You are well aware of my thoughts on the subject.

I would be happy to know if and when Tims decides to do something about providing its customers with some real nutritional alternatives.