I love baking muffins. I prefer them to cupcakes, they have more substance in my mind. They are more like a rustic little meal, full of fibre and goodness and great to have with you when you’re late for a meal. They are hearty and you can pack them full of nutritional boosts whilst only adding to the texture & flavour.
This recipe cooks up a BIG batch of 12 muffins. Muffin cases are larger than cupcake cases so if you are using the latter, you may need to use a second tray if you have one. If you do make smaller ones, just keep as eye on the timings as they won’t need so long in the oven.
Any muffin you make with fresh or tinned fruit will stay moist for days. The chocolate muffins I bake tend to dry out really quickly, by the next day no one wants to eat them. Although they are sublime still warm from the oven.
When making muffins, the trick is to keep dry & wet ingredients separate until the last possible moment. Work the dry stuff in a bowl, the wet stuff in a jug. Mix the two together and dollop straight into the waiting muffin trays and into the oven.
- 250 g plain flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger or mixed spice
- 75 g sugar
- 1 egg well beaten
- 150 ml milk coconut milk, fruit juice or water
- 175 g fresh pear peeled & chopped
- 75 ml vegetable oil or melted butter
- 75 g walnut halves broken up reserving 12 halves for decorating muffins
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Pop 12 muffin cases in the muffin tray, or lightly grease a silicone muffin tray. Preheat the oven to 375f / 190c / 170fan / Gas 5.
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In a large bowl sieve together all the dry ingredients (excluding the 12 walnut halves)
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In a jug, measure out the wet ingredients.
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When the oven is at temperature, lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry, just until there are no dry bits left showing. Do not over stir.
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Spoon into the cases, pop a walnut half on top of each muffin and bang in the oven.
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After 20 - 25 minutes, check that the top of a muffin springs back when pressed. Take out and let cool on a cooling rack.
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These will freeze brilliantly.
Fiona Egglestone says
14 December 2012 at 9:32 amThese sound amazing! I’ve never thought about using pear in muffins before but I’m definitely going to try this :-) Thanks for another great idea.
Jane Sarchet says
14 December 2012 at 1:04 pmHey Fiona! If you EVER need ideas for adding calories to your diet – this is the place!!! :)
Janei x
Adam says
14 December 2012 at 9:35 amooooooo they sound scrumptious, might give them a try later ;)
Jane Sarchet says
14 December 2012 at 10:16 amHope you enjoy them Adam! x
Carole says
14 December 2012 at 10:34 pmHi there. Food on Friday: Muffins and Cupcakes is open for entries. This looks like a neat one! I do hope you link it in. This is the link . Please check out some of the great links there are already. Cheers
Jane Sarchet says
19 December 2012 at 2:15 amHi Carole, thanks for the invite I’m on my way!
Janie x
Tammy/Our Neck of the Woods says
15 December 2012 at 2:25 amYum! These sound and look so delicious. I’m a big fan of muffins. Good to know they will freeze well!
Hope you have a great weekend! :)
Jane Sarchet says
15 December 2012 at 7:27 amHey Tammy, you too! xx
Carole says
19 December 2012 at 6:22 pmJanie, thanks for linking this nice one in to Food on Friday. There is now a great collection of muffin and cupcake ideas to check out! Cheers
Ps I have just signed up to follow your blog on Google Reader. A follow back to Carole’s Chatter would be wonderful – or have you already followed? Cheers
Jane Sarchet says
19 December 2012 at 8:58 pmThanks Carole, there are some great looking recipes on there, I’ve bookmarked a few :)
Thanks for putting the link up together xx
PS I’ll be following you on Bloglovin ;)