Jessie Keys' Date Bran Muffins

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup corn oil or other neutral oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup oat bran (Jessie specified Quaker "cooking bran")
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 to 1 cups pitted dates
• 1 cup buttermilk

1. Heat the oven to 425u0b0 F. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, salt, sugar, oil, and vanilla.
2. In a second bowl mix the bran, flour, wheat germ, and baking soda.
3. Prepare the dates by cutting them into bite-size pieces. If they are hard, cover them with simmering water, let soak for 20 to 30 minutes, and drain well. Cut when cool. Add to the flour mixture and toss to coat.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Blend together being careful not to over-mix. The batter will be runny.
5. Jessie would lightly grease her muffin tin with margarine and then line with paper muffin cups. I used paper liners lightly greased with cooking spray. Fill about 3/4 full; for my tin, this was about 1/4 cup of batter, and I used a ladle to fill the cups. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

eggs, salt, brown sugar, corn oil, vanilla, bran, flour, germ, baking soda, dates, buttermilk

Taken from food52.com/recipes/68234-jessie-keys-date-bran-muffins (may not work)