These muffins are perfect for snowy mornings. They were originally a bread, that I made last week after seeing it on Shutterbean. Tracy knows where it’s at when it come to delicious things. It was so dang good, I had to have it again this week, only in muffin form. These muffins have crunch from the nuts, tang from the cranberries, heartiness from wheat germ, tender moisture from juicy pears, and little hints of spice. The first time around I made the recipe as is, this time I added a few things like fresh ginger, a bit of allspice, swapped the walnuts for pecans, and snuck in that wheat germ–for science and health.
Like I said, these are perfect for snowy mornings. The kind where you wake up to heavy tree limbs all over your yard, and a massive driveway + walkway to shovel. Maybe you weren’t even prepared for the snow and forgot that you needed a snow shovel, so you had to drive to the hardware store before the sun was even up to procure one…but, thank goodness your car is a boss in the snow. After you’re done heaving around that heavy & wet snow and chucking those tree limbs back into the forest, you can come inside to a hot cup of coffee and a tasty muffin treat. You deserve it for being so physical first thing in the AM.
For those of you that may be wondering, this isn’t my first snow-rodeo. Despite being from Nevada, I’ve had my fair share of snow…contrary to popular belief, the desert has more to do with precipitation (or lack thereof) than heat. I lived in the northern part of the state, just east of the Sierra Nevadas where it’s usually cold, hot, or windy, and always arid.
Pear Cranberry Muffins
adapted from Shutterbean
makes 12 muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons wheat germ
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 large egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups grated, peeled, ripe pear + any juices (about 2 pears)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup fresh cranberries
Preheat oven to 350F and line or spray a muffin tin. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together egg, oil, ginger, vanilla, lemon zest and juice, and grated pear + juices. Fold wet ingredients into dry until just combined. Fold in nuts and cranberries. Evenly divide batter between muffin cups and bake fro 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Store in an airtight container after completely cooled.
Yum! These would be the perfect thing to wake up to. If only these were on my desk when I got to work!
I had to chisel snow off my windshield and peak through a peephole to see my way to work. Jeez louize.
I’ll just chuck one over to you!
I feel bad about that windshield chiseling…I hate that!
Good job taking care of that snow! I can’t think of a better reward your hard work!
Thanks Nicole…I just need tasty rewards for snow work is all 😉
Just in time! I am done with my baked goodies for friends and relatives. The only ones I need to work on would be my treats for my favorite dog sitter (75 year old woman, who is very sweet and kind to throw a treat or two to my St. Bernard when we are out of town…)I can’t send her my double fudge brownies because I know she won’t eat them though I know she will appreciate the effort. This muffin recipe will be perfect for her. The addition of wheat germ in the mixture will be really good for her. I am sure she’d love to munch on these. Thank you for the great recipe!
Anna, excellent! I hope your dog sitter loves them! It’s so nice to find someone to care for pets, how thoughtful of you!
oooh! muffins! wheat germ. For science and HEALTH! Good call!
always for science! sometimes for health… my father-in-law LOVED the bread, would not shut up about it.
The flavor of these muffins was a beautifully complex balance of the spices, ginger, and the cranberry. I found it serching for pear and cranberry muffins (what I had in the fridge and freezer, respectively). I reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup, but probably could have gone down to 1/3. The fruit has additional sweetness to help offset the cranberries. I also cut the oil to 1/4 cup (my usual for a breakfast muffin). I didn’t want to short the recipe any liquid so I subbed 1/4 cup applesauce for the missing oil, probably not necessary because my pear was pretty ripe. I don’t know if I even tasted the vanilla or lemon or if it added to the overall flavor, not sure. What I really loved was the subtle ginger and spices. I was afraid that it would be too much ginger, so I did less, but I’d like to try the full Tbsp next time. Because there WILL be a next time! I loved it!
Donna, I am so glad you loved them and found a great adaptation for your tastes. Thanks for the feedback…cheers!