Pear Walnut Muffins

When I started writing this post, I intended to talk about how easy this recipe is, how I love baking with pears, and how I decided to make these muffins in a lazy afternoon. But the truth is, while I was baking these, I couldn’t stop giggling about the employee of this cafe I used to go.

The place was very plain, nothing remarkable about the food or anything, I used to go there because it was near my office and they had nice muffins to go with the coffee. The only peculiar thing about it is if you ask for a muffin there, the  employee will look at you like you are a weirdo and reply  “You mean a MURPHY, right?”.

Of course, I live in Brazil, we speak Portuguese here, and, like I said to my friend Hilda, I catch myself talking very bad Borat style English sometimes. What I find very curious is the fact that more and more English terms are becoming part of our lives, and they can be totally transformed into more familiar sounds to our ears.

Just the other day, a friend emailed me a picture he took in a bakery that sells pretzels, and a little tag announced proudly: “PREDSONS”. Isn’t it just delicious?

Pear Walnut “MURPHYS” with Streusel Topping (makes 12 muffins)

This recipe is adapted from a pear walnut cake recipe from Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once. Very juicy from the pear bits, with a delicious walnut crunch, they are even better the day after they are baked.

Ingredients (For measurement conversions, look for the calculator on the right side bar.):

• 2 to 3 pears (used 2 Bartlet), peeled and cut into chunks
• 80 grams walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 250 grams plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
• 180 grams sugar
• 125 grams melted butter, cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 100ml milk

For the streusel topping

• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 30 grams cold butter, cut in bits

Make the streusel

In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar and flour. Add the butter and rub with your fingers until the mixture resembles corse meal, with smaller and larger clumps. Reserve in the refrigerator while making the batter.

Make the muffin batter

Preheat  oven to 180°C/ 350°F. Butter a 12 cup muffin pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and nutmeg.

In a smaller bowl, mix eggs and milk.

Add pear chunks and walnuts to the flour mixture and toss with your fingers. Add the milk/egg mixture and the melted butter and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the cups and top with the streusel.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Perfect for the Holidays, don’t you think?

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