Pear Muffins Recipe With Saffron and Browned Butter

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Pear, saffron and browned butter muffins

Name: Pear, saffron and browned butter muffins
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: butter 50g, plus extra for buttering if not using cases; saffron a pinch; buttermilk or milk 185ml; flavourless oil 140ml; egg 1; self-raising flour 300g; baking powder 1/4 tsp; golden caster sugar 150g; pears 2 small, peeled cored, cut into small cubes and drained on kitchen paper

50 minutes
makes 12
Easy

If muffins with muffin tops are what you are after, don't use paper cases, just butter the muffin holes. These work perfectly well without the saffron if you don't have any – you could add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg instead, if you like

November 17, 2016 at 5:15 pm

Ingredients

butter 50g, plus extra for buttering if not using cases
saffron a pinch
buttermilk or milk 185ml
flavourless oil 140ml
egg 1
self-raising flour 300g
baking powder 1/4 tsp
golden caster sugar 150g
pears 2 small, peeled cored, cut into small cubes and drained on kitchen paper

Method

Step 1

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line 12 holes of a large-hole muffin tin with large paper cases or butter them. Add the saffron to the buttermilk. Heat the butter in a small pan until it melts, then keep cooking until the butter starts to turn a golden brown and starts to smell toasty.
Step 2

Mix it with the oil, buttermilk and egg.
Step 3

Sift the flour, baking powder and sugar together. Toss the pear pieces in this mix and lift them out again.
Step 4

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the liquid ones and fold together quickly. Fold in the pears.
Step 5

The mixture will be quite soft but will start to thicken as the raising agents activate. Divide between the muffin cases or holes – they should be quite full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are risen and golden on top. They will have a slightly cracked appearance, this is fine.