“This is an old recipe for bran muffins given to me by a friend and neighbor.

“It really is a refrigerate-able six-week recipe.

Six-week bran muffins. The batter will keep in the refrigerator for a long time. Photo courtesy of Dale Ketchum

“When I have the mixed batter in the fridge, I can quickly make a large batch of these muffins for vacationing or unexpected guests, or bake a small batch as a breakfast treat for my husband and myself (not that we’re getting unexpected guests these days).

“Also, the fact that buttermilk comes in powdered form means i don’t have to shop for fresh buttermilk which is especially helpful as i am not running out to the store frequently these days.” – Reader Dale Ketchum, Cumberland Foreside

Six-week Bran Muffins
Since I don’t always have fresh buttermilk on hand, I use reconstituted powdered buttermilk from my pantry.
Makes 4-5 dozen muffins

4 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 quart buttermilk*
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable oil
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
15- or 18-ounce box of Raisin Bran cereal (approximately 9+ cups)

Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the buttermilk, flour, oil, baking soda and salt. Add the cereal and mix well. At this point the batter can be refrigerated for up to 6 weeks and taken out whenever you have a muffin craving.

When you are ready to bake, heat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease or line with muffin papers as many muffins as you’d like.

Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Store the mixture tightly covered in the refrigerator.