Pear & pecan muffins

Prep 20 mins | Cook 25 mins | Serves 12

2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
³⁄₄ cup brown sugar
¹⁄₄ cup chopped pecan nuts
2 medium (450g) just-ripe pears (Beurre Bosc or Packham)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
100ml buttermilk or milk
150ml rice bran oil or canola oil
Icing sugar, for dusting

Topping:
1 tbs caster sugar
1 tbs chopped pecan nuts

Step 1 Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Line a 12-hole (¹⁄₂ cup capacity) muffin pan with paper muffin wraps or paper cases.

Step 2 Sift flour, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Stir in sugar and pecan nuts. Peel, core and cut pears into a 1-2 cm dice. Stir pears through dry ingredients.

Step 3 Combine eggs and buttermilk or milk and oil in a jug. Using a large metal spoon, stir oil mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Spoon into muffin pan. Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and cooked through. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Lightly dust muffins with icing sugar and serve.

Good for you ... Beurre Bosc Pears

A good source of dietary fibre which contributes to normal laxation.

Provide vitamin C, which contributes to the normal functioning of the body’s immune system.

Pears have a low GI (33-41), which means their natural sugars are broken down slowly for absorption into the bloodstream.