I just love muffins for breakfast, don’t you? They go great with a nice hot cup of coffee and a lazy Saturday morning. In fact, most Saturday mornings after I run errands, I usually stop to pick up a couple muffins for my husband and me.
Last Saturday was different though. Maybe it’s the fall chill in the air that has reinvigorated my spirit. Or maybe it’s just the baker in me. But I decided I wanted to make my own muffins this time. I wasn’t sure which flavor to make though. My go-to is always blueberry muffins. Don’t get me wrong, I love them. I just felt like I needed to do something different.
My husband suggested that I make pumpkin muffins. Now there’s an idea! Of course! Fall is prime-time for pumpkin. He didn’t have to twist my arm.
I made pumpkin muffins, but me being me, I did some things differently that make them turn out exceptionally and you’re going to love them, trust me! I added pear and golden raisins to the muffins. Don’t give me that look! Pear is in season too and it always getting treated like Cinderella was by her horrible stepsisters Pumpkin and Apple. Ok, so pumpkin and apple aren’t horrible of course, but my point is that no one remembers about pear and they should. I promise you that you will love the combination.
I’ll explain more on what’s going on with these below but I do want to tell you that with your raisins, it’s super important to let them soak in water for a bit to plump them up. It makes them nice and juicy in the muffins. In fact, if you’re baking anything and putting raisins into it, you should always soak them first to get that delightfully juicy result. Make these muffins this weekend and you will want to make them every weekend!
Pumpkin Pear Muffins
Ingredients
3 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 tbsp room temperature butter
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup pear juice divided
1 pear diced
1/2 cup mashed pumpkin
1 cup soaked raisins
2 tsp pumpkin spice
Granola
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
Soak 1 cup of raisins in 1/2 cup pear juice & 1/2 cup water. Let soak for at least an hour.
For the Muffins
Sift together flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice, and salt into a bowl.
Using an electric mixer set to medium speed, cream together butter and sugar.
Add eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and pumpkin puree; mix until well combined.
Mix milk and pear juice together.
Reduce speed to low; alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture.
Drain raisins.
Fold raisins and diced pears into the muffin batter.
Divide the batter equally between each muffin cup.
Top with your favorite granola.
