The desire to make these turned into an unexpected late night mission and I have to say I am VERY glad I did it!  I thought the combination of these flavors sounded interesting and I’ve never had a ‘pear muffin’ before.  So, let’s get to the how-to, shall we?

You will require:

1 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c whole bran cereal

3/4 c fat-free milk

3/4 c chopped, peeled pear (I used bosc)

2 egg whites, slightly beaten

3 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp finely chopped almonds

1. Preheat oven to 400 and prep your 12-2.5 in muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.  In a large bowl stir together your flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the mixture.

2. In a medium bowl stir together cereal and milk and let this stand for 5 min.  Stir in egg whites, oil, and pear.  Add this mixture then to your flour mixture and combine until moistened (batter should be lumpy).

3. Spoon batter into muffin cups – about 3/4 full.  Sprinkle with almonds and bake for 15-18 mins or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

4. While the muffins are baking here is how to make the ginger-cream spread: in a small bowl combine 4 oz of light cream cheese with a 1/4 tsp of ground ginger OR 2 tsps finely crushed crystallized ginger and 2 add tsp of honey.

5. Cool muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 mins.  Serve with the ginger-cream spread.  Makes 12 servings.  You WILL enjoy!

***Side note: you can also make the batter ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and just bake a few at a time.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 154

Total fat: 5 g

Cholesterol: 5 mg

Protein: 4 g

Carbohydrate: 24 g

Fiber: 2 g

Sodium: 163 mg