1 ¼

cups

plain flour

¼

cups

wholemeal flour

1 ¼

tsp

baking powder

½

tsp

baking soda

¾

tsp

salt

1 ¼

tsp

ground cinnamon

¾

tsp

allspice

½

tsp

ground nutmeg

5¼

Tbs

unsalted butter; softened

½

cup

brown sugar

1½

Tbs

brown sugar; extra

2

large

eggs

2 ½

tsp

vanilla essence

2¼

Tbs

molasses

¼

cup

sour cream

1

cup

buttermilk

2

Tbs

buttermilk; extra

1 ½

cups

wheat bran

1

cup

raisins

1

Heat oven to 190°C. Mix all ingredients from flour through to ground nutmeg in a bowl and set aside.

2

Beat the butter until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and beat until combined and fluffy, about 1 minute more. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Beat in vanilla, molasses and sour cream, and beat 1 minute more. Add the buttermilk and half of the flour mixture. Beat in the remaining flour mixture until incorporated and slightly curdled looking. Stir in bran and raisins.

3

Pour batter into greased muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Do not over bake! Cool on a rack 5 minutes and turn out to finish cooling.