Recipe: Refrigerator Pumpkin Bran Muffins

Refrigerator Pumpkin Bran Muffins
From Pillsbury's Best Muffins and Quick Breads (Clarkson Potter; March, 1999)
Yield: 30 muffins

2 cups shreds of whole bran cereal
1 1/2 cups buttermilk*
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup oil
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired
3 tablespoons sugar

In large bowl, combine cereal and buttermilk; mix well. Let stand 5 minutes until cereal is softened. To cereal mixture, add pumpkin, oil, orange peel and blend well. Add flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking powder soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, allspice and puts; mix well. Batter can be baked immediately or stored in tightly covered container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease desired number of muffin cups or line with paper baking cups. Stir batter; fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon sugar over batter in each cup.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm.

* To substitute for buttermilk, use 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice plus milk to make 1 1/2 cups. Or, substitute 1 1/2 cups orange juice for the buttermilk, and add 1 teaspoon grated orange peel to the batter.