Whole Wheat Pear Spice Muffins

 

The best season of the year has officially arrived.

Sure, summer is grand because you can do things you wouldn’t do other times of the year. You know, like walk around outside without any shoes on or eat five popsicles in one sitting. Summer’s nice, but it’s got nothing on the crisp, sweater-bundled, coziness of fall. At least not in my book.

 

 

Once that first hint of fall appears, it’s full-steam ahead for me. The extra blankets come out, the sandals get put away, and my kitchen is all about pumpkin, apple, and pear. Oh, and spice. Lots and lots of spice.

 

Today we’re talking muffins. Muffins taste good all year round, but I think they taste their very best when there’s a slight chill in the air. Don’t you? I’ve made some decent muffins in the past, but these babies really are everything a good muffin should be. Slightly wholesome (let’s keep cupcakes, cupcakes and muffins, muffins!), just the right combination of density and airiness, and full of fruit! I like a little crispness on the top of my muffin, but you can certainly leave off the extra sprinkling of brown sugar on yours.

 

  

 

Whole Wheat Pear Spice Muffins

Grov Krydret Pæremuffins

Loosely adapted from Smitten Kitchen

*makes one dozen

 

2/3 cup (75 g) whole wheat flour

2/3 cup (95 g) All-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie or other favorite baking spice blend (I used this one). Alternately, you could just used cinnamon.

1/3 cup (about 5 Tablespoons/ 75 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar

1/3 cup (75 g) dark brown sugar, divided

1 egg, lightly beaten

2/3 cup (160 ml) buttermilk or plain yogurt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

2 medium pears, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

 

1. Preheat the oven to 450F/225C. Place 12 muffin papers inside your muffin tin and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spice blend.

3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and add all the granulated sugar and 1/6 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. Mix in the buttermilk or yogurt, being careful not to over mix as curdling can occur! If using, add the vanilla extract. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the pear chunks.

4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/6 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400F/200C, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

5. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Comments

[rachel]

Yes, just what I've been waiting for! I love fall too, especially when someone special is coming to visit. Three of them!

[Emma @ Poires au Chocolat]

These look gorgeous! Yum.

[Abigail (Kline) Duffine]

I too cannot wait for fall! There's nothing better. And these muffins are at the top of my list of new recipes to try. Thanks, Siri!

[Sassy Molassy]

Mmm...i'd never think of adding pears to muffins, but sounds good. And I do happen to have 4 fresh pears sitting in my kitchen right now.

And I do love fall, but lord it feels like it's also the beginning of the four months a year that I'm always freezing. Ugh. Guess I need to invest in some more bulky wool sweaters. :)

[D. @ Outside Oslo]

Those sound wonderful. I'm with you on fall being a special time. I'm always ambivalent about its arrival, because, well, summer is so wonderful, but then when I hear about things like these muffins with cozy fall muffins, I look forward to curling up in front of the fireplace with a good book, sipping hot chocolate on a cold day, wrapping myself up in a nice, warm coat, and all the other wonderful things about fall.

[Ellen Hunter Gans]

Oh my gosh, these look incredible. I am definitely going to make them. Thanks so much for the recipe! Three cheers for fall!!!

[Adrienne]

I made some of these today with ginger pear tea (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/ginger-pear-tea-recipe/index.html) for my hunny. Delish!

[Siri]

Adrienne- I'm so glad you made them and that the turned out for you! Ginger pear tea sounds great, I used to drink a black tea with ginger and pear from the Republic of Tea...not sure if it's still made or not.