Monday, November 16, 2009

Her Majesty Pear & The Prince Walnut



I love pears - even more than apples. I love them because of their feminine shape, beautiful yellow color, juicy sweetnes and the fact that they go so well with another of my favourites - walnuts. Especially here, in Budapest, you can find them big, yet full of flavour, in many varieties. The best walnuts I've ever eaten are also from Budapest - on the Market Hall (Vasarcsarnok) starting in September/October you'll find them fresh, in a beautiful golden colour, with no hint of bitternes. Pear Walnut Muffins combine two of my favourites. Furthermore, they take so little time to prepare yet the taste is really amazing - these are the best muffins I've ever done. (Though P. says that the best were Apple Raisin Muffins.) You should try them out with cinnamon latte... and a good cooking book. Mmm.. indulgence... - a perfect way to spend a dark autumn afternoon or evening.

Pear Walnut Muffins
(inspired by the recipe for Pear Muffins from the Ultimate Muffin Cookbook by Bruce Weinstein Mark Scarbrough)

Wet ingredients:
3 medium pears (around 230g each/8 ounces)
160g (3/4 cup) light brown sugar
120g (1 cup) walnuts
1 large egg, lightly beaten, at room temperature
1 small natural yogurt (150g)
60ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil (I used grapeseed oil)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry ingredients:
250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Makes around 12 medium / standard size muffins (5cm in diameter).

1. Wet ingredients:
Peel and core the pears. Two of them mash with a blender, the third one cut into small cubes. Stir in the brown sugar, toss well and set aside for 15 - 30 minutes (depending how ripe your pears are, if a lot - then 15 minutes is plenty, if they're firm and not too ripe - then 30 minutes should be fine.) In the meantime, chop walnuts and toast them in the oven for 5-7 minutes. After that time, using a wooden spoon, stir the egg into the pears, then stir in the rest of the wet ingredients (including walnuts) until smooth.

2. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Prepare the muffin tins: line them with paper muffin cups or cut pieces of baking paper.

3. Dry ingredients:
Whisk the dry ingredients in a second bowl until well uniform.

4. Add the dry ingredients bowl into wet ingredients bowl, stir in just until incorporated. Don't overmix! Fill the prepared tins (mine are pretty shallow and I filled them to the brim, instead of the usual three-quarters full). Bake for 23 minutes, until the muffins are light brown and have rounded tops. The muffins are ready when the toothpick or cake tester comes out almost clean (can be one or two crumbs attached). Set the pan onto the rack and let the muffins cool down for 10 minutes before taking them out and serving.


2 comments:

  1. takich pieknych gruszek jak w Budapeszcie niestety u nas nie ma .. no i te wspaniałe orzechy , których fanka tez jestem .....Spróbuję zrobic je ze skladnikow, które są u nas. Ciekawe czy udadzą sie ze zmniejszona iloscia proszku do pieczenia ?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wydaje mi się, ze ciasto jest dość wilgotne i ciężkie i te dwie łyżeczki proszku są koniecznie, ale spróbować można :)

    ReplyDelete