SIX-WEEKS BRAN MUFFINS

6 cups bran
2 cups boiling water
1 cup shortening, melted
3 cups (or less) sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour
5 tsp soda
2 tsp salt

Optional: dates, raisins, chopped apple

Pour the boiling water over 2 cups of bran and let stand while assembling other ingredients. Mix in shortening. Mix rest of bran with sugar, eggs, and buttermilk. Sift flour with soda and salt. Combine all ingredients and bake as needed, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Mixture will keep six weeks or more in the refrigerator. Makes 6 dozen.

Dates, raisins or chopped apple may be added at baking time.

BLUE RIBBON BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottoms of 12 muffin pan cups; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, mix egg, milk and oil. Make a well with a spoon in center of the flour mixture. Pour egg mixture and blueberries into the well. Stir until flour mixture is moistened; the batter will still be lumpy. Gently spoon batter into the greased muffin pan cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from muffin pan cups. Dip tops of warm muffins in melted butter or margarine, then in 1/2 cup sugar. Serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.

Variations:
Cranberry-Orange Muffins: Omit blueberries. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup chopped cranberries, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon grated orange peel. Stir cranberry mixture into flour mixture with egg mixture.
Date-Nut Muffins: Omit blueberries. Stir 3/4 cup diced pitted dates and 1/2 cup chopped nuts into flour mixture with egg mixture.
Miniature Muffins: Spoon any of the above batters into greased bite-sized muffin pan cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes.