Plantain Oat Bran Breakfast Muffins

These are large size breakfast muffins that are packed full of oat bran. I have used brown sugar with a caramel taste and supplemented this with maple syrup and molasses. Plantains are like bananas except they are larger, and have to be cooked before eating. They have their own unique flavor. I use very ripe plantains as they are at their most flavorful and sweetest at that point. Their flavor goes well with cinnamon and allspice.

1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup oat bran

1⁄3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon Maple Syrup

1 tablespoon Molasses

1 rounded tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

3/4 cup half and half (or milk)

¼ cup Greek style yogurt, plain and unsweetened

1⁄4 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 large, very ripe Plantain, baked and mashed

1/3 cup dried cranberries (butterscotch morsels compliment the plantain flavor best but obviously carry a lot more calories)

Juice of 1 lime

1. Preheat oven to 400F; grease 12 large muffin cups or use muffin liners. Bake the ripe plantain as shown below for about 15-20 minutes.

It is done when a knife inserted in it meets no resistance. Remove from oven, discard peel, mash with a fork and cover with the lime juice.

2. Combine flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon in a large bowl and set aside.

3. Put half and half or milk, sugar, dried cranberries, maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla in medium saucepan and heat slowly until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer them set aside to cool. Whisk cooled mixture with egg, yogurt and oil until frothy. Whisk in the mashed plantain.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring just until combined being careful not to overmix.

5. Divide batter evenly among large size muffin cups (I'm horrible at this).

6. Bake about 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into centers of muffins comes out clean.

7. Transfer to rack to cool.