Saturday, January 16, 2016

Pear-Hazelnut Oat Muffins


Have you ever dreamed of owning your own restaurant? I have….it would be a breakfast and lunch place. Opening early in the morning and closing late in the afternoon. Mornings are my favorite time of the day, there is something about the quiet and I tend to do my best work. All pastries and baked goods would be made daily. There would also be seasonal soups and salads. All items would be made from local and wholesome ingredients.

One of the baked items on the menu would be these Pear-Hazelnut Oat Muffins. The pears are shredded and then added into a cardamom, nutmeg scented batter and then hazelnuts are coarsely chopped; one half into the batter, the other half on top. To me the combination of pears and cardamom is a match made in heaven. These baked up beautifully and tasted even better the next day. To rewarm, place in a 200º oven and serve with a small pat of butter. Talk about a wonderful way to start the day….

This recipe has been ever so slightly adapted from Megan Gordon’s cookbook “Whole-Grain Mornings”.

Ingredients:

½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup oat bran
1cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
2 or 3 firm pears (peeled and shredded with box grater)
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) I zapped in microwave twice, each time 30 seconds each)
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs (beaten)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 cup roasted unsalted hazelnuts (divided)


Preheat oven to 425º

Prepare muffin pan with liners, or grease individual cups and top of pan to prevent sticking.

In a medium size bowl, add the rolled oats and oat bran, both flours, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom, nutmeg and salt, whisk together.

In a small bowl microwave butter 30 seconds at a time, (I only had to do this twice). Set aside.

In another medium size bowl combine buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and shredded pears, set aside.


Whisk sugar into butter and pour into buttermilk mixture. Combine, then fold in flour and one half cup of the hazelnuts. Mix until just combined.


Use an ice cream scoop to fill muffin cups, then sprinkle the rest of the hazelnuts on top.

Place muffins in the oven and then immediately decrease oven temperature to 375. Bake 25 to 27 minutes. Muffins are done when tops are golden brown and top of the muffin springs back lightly when touched.


Here is a link to Megan’s Nutty Millet Breakfast Cookies that I made a few years ago. These were outstanding as well.


Cheri Savory Spoon
Cheri Savory Spoon

Mysavoryspoon was first started in 2010 as a way to journal recipes that I had collected from cookbooks, magazines, family and friends. Most everything was savory, using legumes and whole grains. Along the way I discovered a love for baking. Now a couple times a month you might see some type of sweet pie or treat.

62 comments:

  1. I will be there every morning if you make awesome combinations like this one 😀

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    1. Oh thanks Tandy, you could make your strawberry and lavendar jam too, that would be perfect.

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  2. There are so many of my favorite flavors in these muffins!

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    1. Thanks Sue, cardamom and pears are one of my favorites.

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  3. I have seen lots of oat muffin recipes with apples, but hardly any with pears. These beauties look so inviting.

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  4. Such a nice and healthy combination. .love to taste it dear..u r an awesome cook

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  5. Hi Cheri,
    I wish your dreams of owning a restaurant will come true.
    I've made pear and crunchy granola muffins. Now I've learned this healthy yummy Pear-Hazelnut Oat Muffins from you. Thanks for sharing ^-^!

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    1. Thanks Karen, i've also dreamed of having my own veggie farm and some farm animals, pets only of coarse but I don't think I could do both.

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  6. I like the combination of Apples and Pears, really nice flavor.

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  7. I would come to your restaurant! But no I don't want to work that hard - haha! I do love to cook for guests - but in small amounts. These look and sound wonderful and I am such a fan of pears. Combined with cardamom - sounds great! Happy weekend :)

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    1. Thanks Tricia, pears are my favorite too, love that they can be great plain, baked, stewed and jarred. Take care!

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  8. Cheri:

    I've shared your fantasy at different points in my life...that is the fantasy of having my own restaurant. I love your idea of a morning place. Morning is indeed a most special time of day and I bet your customers would love to be greeted by your warmth and delicious food. Do let us know when you open your doors! Oh, and by the way, the muffins look divine. D

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    1. Thanks Dena, appreciate all your support, maybe someday....so far every recipe I have prepared with cardamom and pears has turned out wonderful, must be a match made in heaven.

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  9. I've yet to make a decent muffin, so I'm definitely pinning this as I love the combination of ingredients. You're so right, cardamom and pears is so good.

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    1. Hi Johnny, you are such a great baker, let me know what you think if you prepare this recipe. Take care, C

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  10. Love those muffins, I have a fantasy about owning a small bakery/cafe also. Would you actually do it, I mean open one? Your muffins really sound and look deliicious, can't think of better way to start the day.

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    1. Hi Suzanne, I really don't know but it is something that I think about.......take care!

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  11. in central wisconsin, near my home-town, there's a place called 'the kitchen table'. it is open for breakfast and lunch only and closes by 2 p.m. it has small two-fer and four-seat tables around the edge and big kitchen family-style tables in the middle where folks just sit side-by-side and eat together whether they know one another or not. they have the BEST omelets, homemade jams, fresh fruits, salads, sandwiches, whatever. a simple slice of toast with their jam and coffee is like heaven. whenever i've gone home, i've always made a point that we eat there. it is part of 'home' to me. :)

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    1. Hi theresa, that's is the kind of place that I would love to have, sounds magical, love the name too!

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  12. I wish my Aunt Rae were still alive to try these muffins! She was the muffin queen. I am going to make these for our staff meeting next month - I will report back.

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    1. Thanks David, please do would love to hear how yours turned out. Take care! C

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  13. Oh my goodness these muffins look so delicious!

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  14. I am always happy to see pears getting more love in the blogging world. I really don't cook with them enough.
    I would love there to be more breakfast restaurants - it's the best meal of the day.

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    1. Hi Dannii, I agree, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day too, nothing is off-limits for breakfast, today i had cauliflower mash, a boiled egg and kale sprouts.

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  15. Those look marvelous, Cheri. I love pears in muffins and bread!

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    1. Thanks Barbara, i do too, they make baked goods moist and delicious!

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  16. Whole grain breakfasts, homemade soups and salads for lunch - my absolute favorite kind of restaurants!! I love the feature of pears in these yummy sounding muffins.

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    1. Thanks Mindy, sounds like we enjoy alot of the same things. Happy Monday to you!

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  17. i prefer mornings too! i reach a certain point in the day when i become utterly useless. :)
    great muffins! pears are criminally underused. :)

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  18. Dear Cheri, do let me know if and when you open up that restuarant! I shall jump on a plane and travel to your place then to help you. And I do not mind the least getting up very early in the morning and baking those gorgeous Pear Muffins!

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    1. Hi Andrea, oh what fun we could have in the kitchen!

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  19. I have wanted to do the same thing regarding owning a restaurant, Cheri! It would be the same type as yours, too. These muffins sound so good. They have such interesting ingredients, not your typical muffin. I really want to try these! I would love to be a customer at your restaurant! :)

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    1. Hi Shari, breakfast foods and soups and salads are the best. Take care!

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  20. Please open your little restaurant here in our neighborhood! These are some great little muffins, they sound delicious and I'd be one of your best customers! I like the early morning also so I'm sure you'd be serving then. :-) Have a great week!

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    1. Hi Pam, yes, early mornings are the best, Take care!

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  21. Muffins look sensational Cheri! Having grown up in the restaurant business I am always astounded how many people dream of it...breakfast and lunch sounds lovely though, perhaps not requiring 24/7 365 otherwise.

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    1. Hi Peggy, it is amazing isn't it, yes the 24/7 does sound pretty imtimidating. Happy Monday!

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  22. Love this super healthy muffins.. I should try this

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    1. Thanks Vidya, if you get a chance let me know what you think.

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  23. These sound heavenly... Makes me wish I had a knack for baking, but my ingredients always have other plans. lol

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    1. Hi christine, I started out the same way and still alot of my baked goods do not even make it to my site. I really enjoy the process now.

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  24. Your fantasy restaurant sounds absolutely heavenly. I'd want to hang out there, nursing a cup of coffee and eating your wonderful muffins and food, all the time... : )

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    1. Thanks Monica, looks like there are alot of use with this dream.

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  25. Thank you, Cheri! Now I know what to do with my cardamom...Your muffins do indeed look heavenly...And yes I dreamed of having my own cafe until I started selling baked goods and realized how much time it takes away from writing =)

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    1. Hi Kim, I know that darn reality can sometimes be a dream breaker, but it's fun to think about it anyway.

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  26. Yes, I've dreamed of having different restaurants - mostly a pie shop! These muffins look lovely.

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    1. Hi Amy, you should have a pie shop, you are the best pie baker around.

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  27. I don't know that I've ever had pear in a bread food before, but it always sounds delicious. And with hazelnut, this one sounds just terrific!

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    1. Hi Mary, the pear makes the muffin so tasty and moist, Happy New Year!

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  28. WOW! This looks so healthy, flavorful and delicious :-) I love the combination of ingredients in the recipe

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  29. These look so delicious! Pears and plums are my most favorite fruit. Wonderful recipe with a beautiful name and I will have to try them! I would love to have bakery store front one day :)

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    1. Thanks Marcelle, wish you the best with your bakery store front, you make such wonderful treats.

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  30. These muffins looks so good and healthy–you definitely would expect to find them in a very nice bakery! Having a bakery is something I dream about from time to time! :)

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    1. Hi Nancy, I guess it's not too big of a surprise so many of us would like a bakery or restaurant. Lol!

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  31. These muffins are excellent. They'd have great texture and I know they're so good for you. There's nothing better in the morning than a freshly baked muffin xx

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    1. Hi Charlie, I agree, they are so easy to eat on the go. Have a great week-end!

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