RUSTIC GINGER-PECAN-PEAR MUFFINS WITH CORNMEAL

I feel so badly that I can't participate in Vegan Mofo this year!  But, it's just not  feasible for me this year, as I am organizing a fund-raising event, which is taking up alot of time and energy. Next year!

But, we still have to eat, and I had some nice pears to use up.  I decided to make some muffins with them, and, before I had thought of pear muffins, I had been been considering making some corn bread.  This led me to an idea for pear muffins made with some cornmeal.  And then I thought adding some of my favorite organic candied ginger (it has some real zing to it!) would be nice, and why not a handful of pecans for good measure?  The results were excellent-- good enough to share with you.  They would make a wonderful breakfast muffin because they are whole grain, substantial, and rather rustic, but not heavy or overly-sweet.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S RUSTIC GINGER-PECAN-PEAR MUFFINS WITH CORNMEAL
Makes 12

Dry Mix:

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (do not substitute all-purpose whole wheat flour for pastry flour)—

can be white whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup granulated unbleached organic sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Mix:

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons golden flax seed

2 teaspoons lemon juice with

     soy milk, hemp milk, or nut milk to make 1 cup

3 tablespoons oil

Zest of 1 medium organic lemon

Ginger Mix:

3/4 cup organic candied ginger, cut in 1/4-inch dice

1 large pear, cored and cut in 1/4-inch dice (peel only if not organic or skin is tough or unsightly)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Garnish:

12 pecan halves

brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375ºF and spray a 12-cup muffin pan with oil from a pump-sprayer.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

Place the water and flax seeds in a blender and blend until the mixture is thick and “gloppy”.  Add the curdled nondairy milk, oil and lemon zest and blend until smooth.

Add the ginger, pear and pecans to the Dry Mix in the bowl and toss to coat them with the flour mixture.  Pour in the Wet Mix and stir briefly just to mix.  Do not over-mix.

Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a little brown sugar and insert a pecan half sideways into the middle of each muffin, leaving half of the pecan showing.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a cake tester or a toothpick comes out clean.

Place the muffin pan on a cooling rack and leave for 10 minutes, then loosen the muffins gently with a table knife and remove carefully from the pan.  Serve warm.

Warm muffins with some of my homemade vegan palm-oil-free Buttah

Enjoy!