Strawberry Bran Snack Muffins

Makes 12 standard size muffins

This muffin is based on one of my grandmother’s recipes. She used this high fiber, high iron recipe to help treat her high cholesterol and  constipation problems, She called this muffin the magic cure. But most of all it is delicious and helps my kids calm their sweet cravings. Always better with fresh strawberries from the farmers market, for now we will use the frozen berries we have from Trader Joe's in our freezer.

Ingredients:

1-¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour

1-½ cups All Bran cereal or pure wheat bran (sometimes called Miller’s Bran)

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

1-1/4 cups milk of choice (dairy, coconut, soy, almond, rice, hemp, etc.)

½ cup honey

¼ cup liquid coconut oil or grape seed oil

2 egg whites or 1 whole egg

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, bran, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, combine milk, honey, oil, egg and lemon peel until thoroughly blended.

5. Mix liquid ingredients into dry ingredients.

6. Fold in strawberries.

7. Fill muffin tins no more than half full.

8. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until muffins test done. Allow muffins to cool for 30 minutes before removing from tin

Why Strawberries?

These regal berries, so bright and juicy and delicious, are important additions to your warm weather diet. Available in most markets from late April through July, strawberries boast off-the-chart levels of vitamin C, plus huge stores of fiber, antioxidants and other phytonutrients. Not only are they important for keeping kids free of illness and helping to quickly heal wounds, strawberries promote strong eyesight, ward off heart disease and cancer, and have powerful anti-inflammatory powers. Eating them raw is one scrumptious option, but strawberries are also great tossed into smoothies, fruit and green salads, added to muffin and quick bread recipes, and even simmered into syrups” and sauces.