Pear and Hazelnut Muffins

Pear and Hazelnut Muffins

Yield: 12 standard muffins

Recipe adapted from Megan Gordons Whole Grain Mornings

 I think this recipe could work great in a loaf pan with a longer baking time.

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Ingredients:

3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup unbleached all purpose
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
2-3 firm pears
2/3 cup natural cane sugar or muscavado
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 heaping cup toasted and chopped hazelnuts

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Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425'. Butter a standard 12-cup miffin tin or line with papers. 

In a bowl, combine the oats, flours, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Mix well and set aside.

Core the pears and grate them into a bowl using the large holes of a box grater. You should have a heaping cup of shredded pear.

Put the sugar in a large bowl. Melt the butter and stir it into the sugar until well combined. Whisk in the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and shredded pear until you have what resembles a loose batter. Add the flour mixture and fold it in gently, being careful not to over mix. Reserve 1/2 cup of the hazelnuts but stir the other half into the batter.

Fill the muffin cups nearly to the top and sprinkle the remaining hazelnuts. Put the muffins in the oven and immediately decrease the heat to 375'. Bake until the tops are golden brown and feel firm to the touch, 25-27 minutes.

Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the tin. Serve warm or room temperature. They will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container.