Recipe: Spiced Applesauce Cranberry Bran Muffins

Spiced Applesauce-Cranberry-Bran Muffins
04/01/98 Irene Gewinner, Phoenix, Arizona
Yield: 34 muffins.

Keep muffins frozen until needed, then individually microwave on defrost for 5 minutes or place in lunch box or bag for an eatable 'cool pack'. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees (set oven rack to middle of oven).

5 teas. Baking soda
2 cups boiling water
2 c. Oil
2 c. Sugar
12-oz. can 7 up or Sprite
24-oz. Jar of spiced applesauce
16-oz. Can whole cranberries or fresh cranberries
5 c. flour
2 c. Oat bran hot cereal
2 c. whole wheat hot cereal (Mother's whole wheat rolled wheat or cracked wheat)
1/4 teas. nutmeg and ginger
3/4 teas. allspice, cloves and cinnamon
vegetable spray
2-oz. Bag of pecan halves

Utensils:
3 1/2 or 4 quart bowls (very large-need two of these)
4-c. Liquid measuring cup, 2-c. Dry measuring cup
whisk for wet ingredients and a large spoon
measuring spoons for spices (1/4 teas. And 1 teas.)
3 no-stick muffin tins (12 muffins each)

Mix baking soda into boiling water, cool. Whisk in one bowl, the first 7 ingredients. Combine in other bowl the next 5 ingredients. Remove about 4 cups of flour mixture from the bowl. Add liquid ingredients to dry, blend with a large spoon, adding the separated flour mixture as you go. Do not over-blend. Spray tins with vegetable spray, fill a 4-c. liquid measuring cup with batter, pour batter into muffin tins, top each muffin with a pecan half and bake first two together and then last tin alone for 30 minutes each.

Rolled wheat looks like oatmeal. Cracked wheat stays crunchy (nut-like).