by Ms. T
View
my 11 recipes »
biffbourgeois's Testing Notes:
Expand CollapseMs. T's Notes:
Expand4 small, ripe pears (Bartlett or similar), peeled, cored and diced. Should yield about 2 cups. Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon unsalted butter Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons grated ginger (I keep my peeled ginger root in the freezer and grate it with a microplane when I need it, which tends to make the gratings a little fluffy. So if you’re using fresh, unfrozen ginger, you might want a little less) Ask a question about this ingredient
Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When butter is melted and frothy add pears, tossing with a wooden spoon to coat.
Ask a question about this stepAdd 1/4 cup of sugar, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
Ask a question about this stepAdd grated ginger and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, until pears are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 15-20 minutes.
Ask a question about this step1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 teaspoon baking soda Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon ground ginger for batter + 1/2 teaspoon for topping Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 teaspoon salt Ask a question about this ingredient
2 eggs Ask a question about this ingredient
1/3 cup sugar for batter + 2 tablespoons for topping Ask a question about this ingredient
1 stick (1/2 cup), plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup pear ginger sauce (recipe above) Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Grease muffin pan.
Ask a question about this stepStir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, and salt in a bowl.
Ask a question about this stepWhisk together eggs and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl until combined well, then add butter whisking or blending with electric mixer until creamy.
Ask a question about this stepStir in pear ginger sauce, then fold in flour mixture to combine. Stir in 1 cup of walnuts and divide batter among muffin cups.
Ask a question about this stepIn a small bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/2 cup walnuts. Sprinkle topping evenly on top of muffins. Bake until muffins are golden and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then remove muffins from pan and cool slightly. Enjoy with coffee, preferably in a sunny spot in the backyard. Once cooled completely, the muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature 1 day, or in the freezer for about a week.
Ask a question about this stepOh wow, these are going to be my treat to myself for finishing exams tomorrow! The thought of gingery pears will keep me motivated through this glut of revision....
That is quite a compliment! Hope your exams went well and that you rewarded yourself well with muffins, naps, and other treats :)
I recall the morning you baked these and how heavenly the house smelled. Not to mention how tasty the muffins are !
Thanks Mom. Consider it a payback for all the times you filled the house with smells of pancakes with pear-ginger sauce. (My inspiration for this recipe.)
Pears, ginger, walnuts - an excellent combination! I will have to try these muffins, I'm sure they will be a hit with the children.
The pear ginger sauce sounds delicious! And we love muffins here, so this is perfect. Definitely going to try these, soon. ;o)
Do you measure the walnuts before or after chopping? 1 1/2 cups of already chopped walnuts seems like an enormous amount for a dozen muffins . . . . (Making these this week, as soon as my pears ripen up a bit!) ;o)
Good catch, AJ! You're right, I measured before I chopped. It also depends on how nutty you want your muffins. Sometimes I put the nuts in the batter and on top (as described here) and sometimes I just sprinkle them on top. Let me know how yours turn out!
Thanks wssmom! Let me know how they turn out. BTW, it has just been brought to my attention that I have an error in the recipe--it should be 1/4 cup of sugar in the sauce, not 1/2 cup. (Unless you prefer things on the sweeter side.) I'll edit this once the judging is over.
No worries, Ms. T. We already made the correction.
Thank you sdebrango! They're one of my favorite ways to celebrate a lazy weekend morning.
Oh yum. I am totally with you about the delights of the pear-ginger combination. Love that you used walnuts as a topping in addition to mixing in the batter - sounds delicious!
Thanks Niknud. Speaking of pear ginger combos, I just checked out your Pear-Devil recipe and it looks divine (and your notes are very funny). Hope your birthday took a turn for the better!
Ken is an award-winning executive chef and owner of seven Boston area restaurants: Clio, Toro, Uni, Coppa, KO Prime, La Verdad and Earth.
Delicious!