Jumbo Pear Muffins

My Mom is an EXCELLENT cook (and baker). I grew up on nothing but amazing homemade and homegrown food. This recipe is from Mom and is easy and always delicious. The original recipe calls for jumbo muffins but you can make it into a coffee cake or regular muffins, whatever suits your needs.

Ingredients

1 16 ounce can pears OR 3 or 4 fresh ripe pears (diced) *I always use the fresh pears and you really can't put too many in!*

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ cup shortening or butter flavor shortening (oil)

1 8 ounce container light sour cream ( or non-fat plain yogurt)

2 large eggs

1/3 cup slices almonds

Streusel Topping

You can use any recipe for this you like, here's the one I usually use:

3 tbsp flour

3 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp nuts

Combine flours, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter to make course meal. Mix in nuts. Sprinkle over muffins.

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 6 10 ounce custard cups or 9 in round cake pan. Place cups in jelly-roll pan for easy handling
2. Prepare Streusel topping; set aside
3. Drain pears and pat dry with paper towels; coarsely chop. In large bowl, stir flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and cardamom until well mixed. With a pastry blender cut in shortening until mixture resembles course crumbs.
4. In a medium bowl, with wire whish or fork, mix sour cream and eggs until well blended; stir in chopped pears. Fold egg mixture into flour mixture just until moistened. (do not over-mix!)
5. Spoon batter into custard cups; sprinkle with Streusel Topping; top with slices almonds. Bake about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cert of muffin comes out clean. Cool muffins in cups on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from cups; cool completely on rack. Makes ~6 jumbo muffins.
   

ENJOY!