Refrigerator Bran Muffins

3 cups whole bran cereal
1 cup boiling water
¹/₂ cup shortening
1¹/₂ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
3 cups sifted enriched all-purpose flour
2¹/₂ teaspoons baking soda
¹/₂ teaspoon salt

1. Put bran cereal into a bowl. Pour in boiling water. Set aside until cool.

2. Put shortening and sugar into a large mixer bowl. Beat until thoroughly blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. Alternately mix in the soaked bran and buttermilk.

3. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together; add to the bran mixture and mix gently until ingredients are thoroughly moistened (do not overmix).

4. Pour batter into well-greased 2¹/₂ x 1¹/₄-inch muffin-pan wells, filling each about two-thirds full.

5. Bake at 400 ํF 15 to 18 minutes. Immediately loosen and tip muffins in wells. Serve warm.

6. Batter may be stored in tightly covered jars in a refrigerator as long as 3 weeks; when ready to bake, pour batter into muffin-pan wells and proceed as above.

( About 3 dozen muffins )