Chocolate Ginger Bran Muffins #MuffinMonday

Here is a bakery style muffin, "bakery style" translation: possibly as close to cupcake as it is to muffin.  But hey, bran, so... it's healthy, right?  The bittersweet ganache is wonderful against the rich, sweet muffin, but they are good plain as well.  This recipe is my reconstruction from an incomplete recipe posted by a confectionery company.  Since I have found a number of their recipes to be incomplete and/or inaccurate between ingredients and directions, I will not link them, but they do make chocolate in California.

Eldest kiddo and I loved these muffins!  Hubby and youngest weren't bran fans.  If you like a bran muffin, if you like chocolate bars with ginger in them, these are muffins to try out.

Chocolate Ginger Bran Muffins
Makes 11-12 muffins

160g flour (1¼ cups)
100g sugar (½ cup)
100g eggs (2 large)
90g dark chocolate, chopped or pieces
90g heavy cream (6½ tbsp)
55g milk (¼ cup)
28g sour cream (2 tbsp)
50-70g candied ginger, diced small (~⅓-½ cup) (Or chocolate chips or dried cranberries/cherries if you don't like ginger)
50g avocado oil or melted butter (3½ tbsp)
50g golden syrup (2½ tbsp)
50g oat bran (½ cup)
7.5g baking powder (1½ tsp)
3.5g Salt (½ tsp)

Heat the heavy cream to a boil and pour over the dark chocolate.  Let it sit for 1 minute then stir until a smooth ganache forms.  (You will use the ganache, divided.)

Sift together the flour and baking powder.  Stir in the bran.

Mix together the oil, sugar and salt until blended.

Whisk the milk, sour cream and eggs, then add to the oil mixture slowly.  Add syrup and mix well.

Add the dry ingredient mixture and stir or mix on a low speed until just evenly moistened.  Mix in half of the ganache. Then fold in the diced ginger.

Portion into lightly greased, paper lined muffin molds, cover, and set aside for 15-30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Bake for 18-20 minutes until done.

Once the muffins are cooled, glaze with the remaining ganache.  (You may need to reheat for a few seconds if the kitchen is cold and the ganache has firmed up.)

NOTE:  You can make just enough ganache for the batter with 45g each chocolate and cream, and leave the muffins plain.  They can be topped with chocolate syrup or fudge sauce as well, it will be sweeter and not have that bittersweet flavor of the ganache, but it will still be good!  (This also works if certain family members get into the ganache and there is not enough left...)

Here are some more muffins for your Monday:

• Pecan Pie Muffins Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Ginger Bran Muffins A Messy Kitchen 
• Carrot Cake Muffins Food Lust People Love
• Ricotta Basil Muffins Magical Ingredients 
• Sourdough Doughnut Muffins Zesty South Indian Kitchen