Pear Muffins

I was sorting through my pantry this past weekend and noticed a can of pears.  Typically I just end up chilling them and just eating them plain, but then I considered the possibility of cooking with them...could a pear work in a muffin?

I mixed the  flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  I followed this Pear Muffin recipe, using canned pears rather than fresh.  This recipe is a little different from the other muffin recipes I've made because the sugar is usually mixed in with the wet ingredients (with the butter or oil and eggs) and then later the dry ingredients like flour and baking powder are added.  I had to re-read that line of the directions to make sure I had it right.

In a separate small bowl, I first beat an egg slightly then added in the vanilla, milk, and oil.

I added the egg mixture to the large bowl and mixed everything until it was combined, then added in the pears and mixed slightly more.

I scooped the batter into muffin cups and baked them at 400 degrees F.

They were definitely ready after 15 minutes.

They were definitely a different type a muffin, more light and soft than the recipes I've made previously, but the pear had a good flavor.  The only thing was that it wasn't a very strong flavor, so next time I will have to add a few different types of fruit to really make them amazing.  I'm happy with my first attempt at baking with pears and it's always nice have a tasty breakfast item to grab in the morning!

Pear Muffins Recipe

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 can pears, chopped

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Beat egg in a small bowl, then add milk, oil, and vanilla and mix well.  Pour egg mixture into large bowl and stir until combined.  Mix in pears.  Scoop into muffin pans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the center of a muffin comes out clean.