Healthy + Delicious = (Blue)berry Bran Muffins!

I've been on the hunt for a delicious, healthy bran muffin recipe for ages. In NYC I'm obsessed with the raspberry bran muffins from The BirdBath green bakery-they're phenomenal-though I'm pretty sure they're nutritionally closer to cake than anything else :)

The other day Prof. Hubs brought home a huge number of blueberries. I love them, they are lovely just as they are, but few can eat berries in such exorbitant numbers. They need to be used in delicious ways before they're considered waste. Hence, the birth of the Desperate Housediva's (Blue)berry Bran Muffins. These come together easily in minutes, in one bowl, and are soooo delicious, so healthy (Greek yogurt, bran, whole wheat flour, teensiest bit of butterfat, fresh berries-nutritional powerhouse!) that I needed to share them immediately. I am looking forward to trying this recipe out with fresh raspberries when the season arrives... And for those of you watching your calories this season-I think they come in under 100 calories/per muffin with lots of fiber and protein!

The Desperate Housediva's superhealthydelicious Berry Bran Muffins

(based on a few different recipes, including one by Jean Hewitt, one by some Canadian Agropur people, and one by some recipe contributor called 3lioncubs...)

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1.5 cups wheat bran

3/4 tsp salt (pref. sea salt)

1.25 tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 cups fat free plain Greek yogurt

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp blackstrap molasses

3 Tbsp melted butter

1/4 cup plain applesauce

1/4 skim milk (or buttermilk)

1 cup berries (I used blue but rasp would also be divine...)

Preheat oven to 425.

Either butter and flour a muffin tin or use little muffin liners.

In a ginormous mixing bowl, sift first five ingredients (flour through brown sugar.) Then make a well in the middle and add all remaining ingredients except berries. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Then add berries and give a few mixes (barely) until berries are somewhat evenly distributed throughout batter. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter (it should be pretty thick but not doughy) 3/4 way up cups. Bake for 15 minutes (10 minutes if using mini muffin tins) until muffins are golden brown on top.

Allow to cool for a minute or two before enjoying with or without some lovely butter.