Pear Spice Muffins
(Makes 12 - 14 muffins)

Cinnamon is an ideal companion to pears, and the flavor combination is perfectly suited to this moist muffin. Be sure you use ripe but not soft pears for this recipe, or your muffins won’t have a good texture. Pear nectar is available in health stores and well-stocked grocery stores. You can omit the nuts if you prefer. Don’t forget to turn the oven down to 375 degrees as soon as you put the muffins into the oven!

1/2 recipe Streusel Topping
2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 whole egg, graded large
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2  cup granulated sugar
1 cup pear nectar
1/4 cup flavorless oil (like canola)
1-1/2 cup firm, ripe, crisp pears, peeled and grated just before you add them to the batter
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped after measuring (optional)

If you are mixing and baking the muffins at the same time, preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and set an oven rack so it is about 1/3 from the bottom of the oven.  Spray the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray, and spray a small custard cup if you are including the nuts.

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon zest, in a medium size mixing bowl, and combine with a wire whisk until the mixture is completely blended.  Add the nuts if you are using them, and stir the mixture to distribute them evenly.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  If you are baking the muffins at a later time, cover the bowl and set it aside.

In another mixing bowl, combine the egg, brown and granulated sugars, cider and oil. Peel and grate the pears and add them to the bowl. Stir with a spoon to mix thoroughly. If you are baking the muffins later, cover the wet ingredients and put them in the fridge until you are ready to mix the batter. Refer to the instructions in the Recipe Guidelines page of this web site for instructions on assembling the muffins the most efficient way the next morning.

If you are baking the muffins right away, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a spoon to gently stir the mixture just until the dry ingredients are mixed in. This will only take about 15 seconds. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups (and the 2 custard cups if you are using them). The batter will fill the cups almost to the tops.  Sprinkle the tops of the muffins generously with Streusel Topping. (You may have a little topping leftover, depending on how much you put on each muffin.  You can put it in a plastic zip top bag and store it in the frig for up to 1 month.) Place the muffins in the preheated oven on the preset rack, and immediately turn the oven down to 375 degrees. Bake the muffins for 18-23 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. When done, the muffins will spring back when lightly touched with your fingertip. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and turn them upside down quickly to flip the muffins from the cups. Turn the muffins right side up and let them cool briefly before eating them.

(To print the recipe, right-click the window and select PRINT)