~Edward Bunyard
I tend to cook and bake for and from emotion. I like the feelings that the aroma of cooking or baking evoke in my mind, the sentiments that the mixture of colours can induce, and the passion that the tactile sensations of working with my hands stirs up. I can alter my mood, turn sadness into a mellow joy, or fortify a feeling, making the comfort of home feel more like Home, by making something in the kitchen. Some of these emotions are inherent within things like kneading bread or the smell of freshly milled grain or the feel of butter on my hands. Others are produced through the discovery of something new, the fusion of familiar things into an unfamiliar but very pleasing creation. A first-time elation. This recipe was one of those moments for me.
I love both the delicate, syrupy sweetness of pears and the hot, fragrant spice of ginger. And with these muffins the balance is just perfect; neither overpowers the other. The pears' juiciness make these muffins incredibly moist and infuse the crumbs with flavour and the ginger adds a wonderful edge that works to enhance, rather than hide, the pears' sweetness.
Pear and Ginger Muffins
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped pears, about 1/4-inch dice
6 tsp raw/turbinado sugar
Preheat the oven to 400º F.
Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper muffin cups.
Combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and ground ginger in a large mixing bowl.
In another bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk the sour cream, oil, honey, and eggs together.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Add the diced pears.
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
Sprinkle each one with 1/2 tsp of the raw/turbinado sugar. (If you do not have raw/turbinado sugar you can use more brown sugar here instead.)
Bake at 400º F for 20 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins.
