Pear Ginger Muffins

I had a good amount of crystallized ginger left over from the apricot-ginger mini scones I made last month, so I decided to try this recipe.  I like the options it gives for varying a lot of the ingredients: fresh or canned pears, whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour, canola oil or butter (or both), and varying the amount of sugar.

I used fresh pears, whole wheat pastry flour, organic canola oil, and just 1/3 cup sugar so they are on the healthier side and not too sweet.  They are just right for breakfast or a snack with tea.


After I arranged them in this basket for their close-up shot, I took them out immediately to be individually wrapped and frozen.  If I really left them out on the table they probably would be gone already, but instead we have a nice batch in the freezer, ready when we want them.

Pear Ginger Muffins
Adapted from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup peeled and finely chopped ripe pear (canned or fresh)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3-1/2 cups sugar (depending on how sweet you want them)
1/3 cup finely minced crystallized ginger
1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons of canola oil (may substitute melted butter for some or all of the oil)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the milk with the vinegar in a two cup measuring cup and set aside (there will be room to add more ingredients later).

Put the chopped pear in a small dish and squeeze the lemon juice over it.  Gently toss and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a medium-large bowl.  Stir in the minced crystallized ginger.

Add the egg, ginger, vanilla and oil to the milk mixture and whisk until smooth.  Slowly pour this mixture
into the bowl with the dry ingredients.  Mix gently with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl, until ingredients are just combined.  Don't over mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.  Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove pan from the oven and let sit for one minute before removing muffins from the pan and placing them on a cooling rack.  Wait at least 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 12 muffins.
Freezes well.