Vegan with a Vengeance

mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in the bran. Create a well in the center and add the rice milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon just until combined. Drain the raisins and fold them in along with the crystallized ginger.
    Fill each muffin cup most of the way full and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sunny Blu berry-Corn Muffins
    MAKES 1 DOZEN MUFFINS
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    These are perfect sweet corn muffins, crispy outside and soft inside. They’ve got a great crumb, perfect for spreading with a pat of soy margarine. I call them sunny because of the lemon zest.
    1 cup all-purpose flour
    1 cup cornmeal
    1 tablespoon baking powder
    Â½ teaspoon salt
    â…“ cup sugar
    Â½ cup corn or vegetable oil
    Â¾ cup soy milk
    2 tablespoons soy yogurt
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
    1¼ cups blueberries
    Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a twelve-muffin tin.
    In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, soy milk, soy yogurt, vanilla, and lemon zest. With a wooden spoon, fold the wet ingredients into the dry. Fold in the blueberries, being careful not to overmix.
    Fill each muffin cup three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Serve warm.
    PUNK POINTS
    To keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffin, toss them around in a bowl of flour to coat. That will give them some “grip” in the batter.

Mocha Chip Muffins
    MAKES 1 DOZEN MUFFINS
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    Here I go and break my own rule and make a muffin that is more like dessert. So sue me. I use powdered instant coffee because I think its coffee flavor remains truer than that of fresh-brewed coffee. If you don’t have any instant coffee, just use an extra tablespoon of cocoa powder and have a chocolate-chocolate chip muffin.
    1½ cups all-purpose flour
    Â¾ cup sugar
    Â¼ cup cocoa powder
    2½ teaspoons baking powder
    Â½ teaspoon salt
    2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
    1 cup soy milk
    Â½ cup canola oil
    3 tablespoons soy yogurt
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Â½ cup chocolate chips
    Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a twelve-muffin tin.
    In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the instant coffee powder.
    In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy milk, oil, yogurt, and vanilla.
    Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until the dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips. Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

The Best Pumpkin Muffins
    MAKES 1 DOZEN MUFFINS
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    Everyone loves these muffins. (You think I throw around phrases like “The Best” for nothing?) I created them when I was baking for a café and they sold like nobody’s business. They truly are perfect in every way.
    1¾ cups all-purpose flour
    1¼ cups sugar
    1 tablespoon baking powder
    Â¼ teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    Â½ teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
    Â½ teaspoon ground ginger
    Â¼ teaspoon ground allspice
    â…› teaspoon ground cloves
    1 cup pureed pumpkin (Fresh or from a can; do not use pumpkin pie mix)
    Â½ cup soy milk
    Â½ cup vegetable oil
    2 tablespoons molasses
    Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a twelve-muffin tin.
    Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, soy milk, oil, and molasses. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix.
    Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
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    VARIATION
    Fold in a cup of either chopped fresh cranberries or chopped walnuts, or a mixture of the two.

Apple Pie-Crumb Cake Muffins
    MAKES 1 DOZEN MUFFINS
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    The grated and chopped apples create an apple pie filling in the center of the muffin. It’s a nice surprise to an already sweet and spicy treat.
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    FOR MUFFINS:
    1½ cups flour
    Â¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    Â½ teaspoon ground allspice
    â…› teaspoon ground cloves
    Â¼ teaspoon salt
    Â¾ cup apple cider
    â…“ cup canola