Rustic Banana Bran Muffins

• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 cups bran cereal (not flakes--I used Nature's Path Organic Smart Bran), divided
• 1/3 cup canola or other vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup dark or golden brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons flaxseeds, ground (or a heaping 1/3 cup flax meal)
• 1 very ripe banana, cut into chunks

1. Place 1/2 cup of the cereal into a small mixing bowl and add the boiling water. Allow to cool, then add the canola oil and egg.
2. While the water-bran mixture is cooling, whisk together the flours, raw sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Measure out the buttermilk in a large measuring cup and add the muscovado sugar, stirring with a fork or small whisk. Add to the dry ingredients. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups cereal and then the softened bran mixture. Add the ground flaxseeds and the chopped banana. Refrigerate the batter in a covered container overnight.
4. When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F. To give these rustic muffins a crustier bottom, I recommend baking them in a greased muffin tin, but you can use paper liners if you prefer.
5. Stir the batter a couple of times (the flaxseeds give it a somewhat gelatinous texture, but this is normal), then scoop 1/4 cup of batter for small muffins or 1/2 cup for large muffins into each muffin cup.
6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes for small muffins or 30 to 35 minutes for large muffins, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before removing the muffins from the tin.

boiling water, bran cereal, vegetable oil, egg, flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, golden brown sugar, ground, very ripe banana

Taken from food52.com/recipes/21631-rustic-banana-bran-muffins (may not work)