All-Bran Yeast Bread or Rolls

From Maine's Jubilee Cookbook, published in 1969.

1 tbl. dry yeast

2 cups lukewarm water

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

1/2 cup All-Bran cereal

1/4 cup melted shortening

1 tsp. salt

6 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. Add molasses, beaten egg, and All-Bran. Mix well.

Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Turn out onto floured board, knead well.

Let rise until doubled. Punch down and let rise a second time until doubled.

Form into loaves or rolls, let rise a 3rd time until double.

Bake in 350° oven for 35 minutes for loaves; or 400° for 25 minutes for rolls. Test for doneness.

Grape-Nut Bread

I am a fan of Grape-Nut cereal, and I must come by that honestly. When we first moved back to New England from the west coast we discovered that people there loved Grape-Nuts, especially in Grape-Nut Pudding. I have to admit that I never quite "got" that pudding, but this bread (from Maine's Jubilee Cookbook, published in 1969) is a very tasty way to eat your Grape-Nuts.

1/2 cup Grape-Nuts cereal

1 cup sour milk (if you don't happen to have any, use this method)

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 to 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbl. melted shortening

1 tsp. vanilla

Soak the Grape-Nuts in the sour milk for 10 minutes. Sift together the dry ingredients. Mix the egg, vanilla, and shortening. Add the egg mixture to the sour milk. Add the sifted ingredients and mix well.

Pour into a well-greased loaf pan. Let rise for 20 minutes before baking. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

The beauty of this recipe is that you can make the batter up ahead of time, store it in a covered container in the refrigerator, then bake as many fresh muffins as you want for breakfast.

Even as I type those words I have to wonder if anyone, anywhere, bothers with this sort of thing any more. I've always preferred cooking for breakfast rather than for supper, so I've never minded baking up a batch of muffins or pancakes or waffles for breakfast. Now that I am retired I have just continued the custom, only in progressively smaller batches.

But I have to wonder--am I the only one in the world who is still baking??

3 cups 100% bran cereal

1 cup boiling water

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup raisins or chopped prunes

2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup of sugar or honey

2 - 1/2 cups flour

Mix the cereal with the boiling water in a large bowl. Let cool.

Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and fruit. Beat well.

Stir together the baking soda, salt, sugar, and flour. Stir into cereal mixture only until all is blended.

Use immediately or refrigerate (tightly covered) for up to 2 weeks.

Bake in well greased muffin tins at 325˚ for 25 minutes or until done. Makes about 3 dozen large muffins.