Healthy Bran Muffin Recipe + Healthy Chocolate (& Cherry!) Scones

I was a bit worried about these muffins, given the ingredient list, as it does not use any flour and instead uses all oat bran.  However, I worried in vain as these muffin were actually quite tasty and had a nice molasses and spice flavour.  I do feel the need to warn you however that it does indeed taste as though they are made purely from bran.  Who wants to be regular?!

Molasses Raisin Bran Muffin Recipe (adapted from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook; Marion Cunningham)
2 cups wheat bran
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line muffin tin with muffin cups.  In large bowl, stir together wheat bran, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, and raisins.  In a medium bowl, stir together milk, egg, oil, and molasses.  Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients and mix.  Spoon into muffic cups and bake for 17 to 20 minutes.

To be honest, these scones are too healthy for me.  You can really tell that there is not that much butter in this recipe and so the scones are more chewy versus flaky and light.  They sure don't compare to the scones I made with my friend who accidentally put in 1 cup instead of 1/2 cup of butter!  I've included the recipe however, in case you like scones but do not want to die an early death due to cardiovascular disease.


Chocolate Cherry Scones Recipe (adapted from Betty Crocker: Cookbook for Women)
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 butter
2/3 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease baking sheet.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or using 2 knives) until mixture resembles fine crumbts.  Stir in yogurt, cherries, and chocolate chips.  Knead dough and shape into a ball.  Press down into a disk and cut into 12 pieces.  Bake 15 minutes and serve warm.