Spiced Pear Muffins

Name: Spiced Pear Muffins
Cook time: 22 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 300 g ripe pears peeled, cored, and cut into 1 cm dice; 10 ml lemon juice; 270 g all-purpose flour sifted; 150 g granulated sugar; 10 g baking powder; 3 g baking soda; 4 g fine salt; 4 g ground cinnamon; 1 g ground ginger; 1 g ground nutmeg; 85 g unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly; 45 ml neutral oil; 2 count large eggs room temperature; 120 ml whole milk room temperature; 5 ml vanilla extract; 24 g coarse sugar for topping

These muffins use ripe pears for moisture and gentle fruit flavor, with warm spices folded into a standard muffin batter. They bake in a single 12-cup tin and are best eaten warm or at room temperature.

By Julienne

Cook time: 22 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

300 g ripe pears peeled, cored, and cut into 1 cm dice
10 ml lemon juice
270 g all-purpose flour sifted
150 g granulated sugar
10 g baking powder
3 g baking soda
4 g fine salt
4 g ground cinnamon
1 g ground ginger
1 g ground nutmeg
85 g unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
45 ml neutral oil
2 count large eggs room temperature
120 ml whole milk room temperature
5 ml vanilla extract
24 g coarse sugar for topping

Instructions

Heat the oven to 190 C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or coat it lightly with nonstick spray. The oven is fully preheated and the muffin tin is ready.
In a small bowl, toss 300 g diced pears with 10 ml lemon juice and set aside while you make the batter. The pears are lightly coated and ready to fold in.
In a large bowl, whisk 270 g flour, 150 g sugar, 10 g baking powder, 3 g baking soda, 4 g salt, 4 g cinnamon, 1 g ginger, and 1 g nutmeg until evenly combined. The dry mixture looks uniform with no visible clumps of leavener or spice.
In a second bowl, whisk 85 g melted butter, 45 ml oil, 2 eggs, 120 ml milk, and 5 ml vanilla until smooth. The wet mixture is fully emulsified and glossy.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and fold just until a few dry streaks remain. Fold in the pears, using a gentle motion so the fruit stays in pieces. The batter is thick, evenly moistened, and the pear pieces are distributed.
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle 24 g coarse sugar over the tops. Each cup is filled evenly and the tops are visibly coated with sugar.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan once if your oven bakes unevenly, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. The muffins spring back lightly when touched and the centers are baked through.
Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. The muffins release cleanly and are set enough to handle.