Pear-Cardamom Muffins

Pear-Cardamom Muffins
  • Yield:Makes 12 muffins
  • Active time:15 minutes
  • Total time:30 minutes

[Photograph: Carrie Vasios Mullins]

If you haven't yet tried the pairing of pears and cardamom you're in for a treat. Buttermilk is the key to keeping the crumb tender.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)

Directions

  1. 1.

    Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin cups with paper liners or grease with butter.

  2. 2.

    In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

  3. 3.

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Add 1/2 dry ingredients to bowl, followed by buttermilk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Stir together just until last of flour mixture is incorporated. Stir in diced pears.

  4. 4.

    Divide batter between muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. Bake until golden on top and a cake tester inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Muffins are best on the day that they're made, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.