Autumn in the Tropics Muffin
pear, coconut, and a little spice - it's autumn, in the tropics
60 min|Moderate|Lightly Sweet
As the days grow shorter each fall, the pumpkins come out in droves and make their way into all sorts of baked goods. With this Autumn in the Tropics Muffin recipe, I blend a light hint of those autumn spice notes, in a warm, light muffin, like a Caribbean breeze — using pears and coconut instead of that ubiquitous, heavier, orange winter squash.
Surprisingly, this recipe does get a "moderate" rating on the skill scale though. Pears, (as it turns out) can be little steam bombs in baked goods. The winning strategy here, seems to be half-baking them, before adding those pear pieces to the batter. For more reading about that, skip to the very bottom of this page!
About Digital Food Works
This recipe was developed by Curtis Lawyer for use on the Digital Food Works website. DFW provides photography and design services for businesses with things to eat and drink!
Spice Blend 72-P is something I've been working on for a while. It's a complex blend of 9 different spices, but it's not commercially available at this time. You can use your favorite "pumpkin spice" blend as a replacement, or a 50% cinnamon 50% ginger mix.
Pears Come in So Many Sizes
This recipe was built around a very large pear, and it seemed to be just about the right amount of pear in the muffin. Before cutting into the pear at all (so the skin and core were still in place… the whole pear)… it weighed in at 12oz. If you don't have a 12oz pear, two smaller 6oz or 7oz pears should work fine.
If you feel like the batter is a little too runny — before you fold the half-baked pear into the batter, add another tablespoon of flour.
If, on the other hand, you know you're only going to be working with a single 10oz pear, you may want to take out a tablespoon of flour from the ingredients listed above.
The muffin won't be "ruined" either way though. Generally speaking, commercial baked goods have a little more flour in them than "homemade" versions, which tend to be more "moist". We're trying to get this recipe, to a happy medium.
Surprisingly, this recipe does get a "moderate" rating on the skill scale though. Pears, (as it turns out) can be little steam bombs in baked goods. The winning strategy here, seems to be half-baking them, before adding those pear pieces to the batter. For more reading about that, skip to the very bottom of this page!
This recipe was developed by Curtis Lawyer for use on the Digital Food Works website. DFW provides photography and design services for businesses with things to eat and drink!
Recipe Notes
Spice Blend 72-PSpice Blend 72-P is something I've been working on for a while. It's a complex blend of 9 different spices, but it's not commercially available at this time. You can use your favorite "pumpkin spice" blend as a replacement, or a 50% cinnamon 50% ginger mix.
Pears Come in So Many Sizes
This recipe was built around a very large pear, and it seemed to be just about the right amount of pear in the muffin. Before cutting into the pear at all (so the skin and core were still in place… the whole pear)… it weighed in at 12oz. If you don't have a 12oz pear, two smaller 6oz or 7oz pears should work fine.
If you feel like the batter is a little too runny — before you fold the half-baked pear into the batter, add another tablespoon of flour.
If, on the other hand, you know you're only going to be working with a single 10oz pear, you may want to take out a tablespoon of flour from the ingredients listed above.
The muffin won't be "ruined" either way though. Generally speaking, commercial baked goods have a little more flour in them than "homemade" versions, which tend to be more "moist". We're trying to get this recipe, to a happy medium.
Step by Step Instructions
1
Prepare the Pear
Preheat oven to 350.
Peel, core, and dice the pear (roughly 1/2 inch sized cubes if possible), place in small bowl.
Combine powdered sugar and ground ginger.
Toss and sprinkle the powdered sugar & ginger mix over the diced pears as evenly as possible.
Peel, core, and dice the pear (roughly 1/2 inch sized cubes if possible), place in small bowl.
Combine powdered sugar and ground ginger.
Toss and sprinkle the powdered sugar & ginger mix over the diced pears as evenly as possible.
2
Half Bake the Pear
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread the diced pears out evenly on the parchment paper. Leave as much space between the pear pieces as possible.
Bake in oven at 350°F, for 15-20 minutes.
Cool on pan for 10 minutes, then remove the baked pear pieces and place back in the small bowl.
Spread the diced pears out evenly on the parchment paper. Leave as much space between the pear pieces as possible.
Bake in oven at 350°F, for 15-20 minutes.
Cool on pan for 10 minutes, then remove the baked pear pieces and place back in the small bowl.
3
Combine the Dry Ingredients
Combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and Spice Blend 72 in a large bowl. If you don't have any Spice Blend 72, your favorite "pumpkin spice" blend would work as a replacement.
4
Combine the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, combine the egg, canola oil, buttermilk, and vanilla.
5
Mixing Time
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
6
Gently Combine
Stir in the shredded coconut and chopped peacans until just combined. Then gently fold in the baked pears from the previous step, until just combined.
7
Pour Into Pan or Cups
Pour into a greased muffin pan or paper-lined muffin cups. Only fill them about two-thirds full.
8
Baking Time
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.
9
Cool the Muffins
Cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes, then remove to wire racks (or just some plates that aren't hot). Can be served warm or cool.
10
Optional Dusting
If served cool, dust with powdered sugar for a little extra layer of sweetness.
Autumn in the Tropics Muffin
pear, coconut, and a little spice - it's autumn, in the tropics
Technically, this is "Version 2.0" of the Autumn in the Tropics Muffins. Version 1.0 of the muffins were darker, more dense and… well, let's just say they were very moist.
The whole concept right from the start was just a simple little muffin that would feature pears and a spice blend I have been working on… but kind of like a simple apple muffin, where you would get little pieces of apple here and there.
As it turns out, pears can be little steam bombs in baked goods, which I didn't really consider going into the first version of the recipe. Probably because I don't really think of a pear as being a "watery" fruit. It's not quite a watermelon or pineapple… a-"pear"-ently (see what I did there)… it's not quite like an apple either.
Which is why there's a whole "half baked pear" step in this version of the recipe. Coating the pears with some confectioners sugar and ginger and half-baking them seems to do two things. It reduces the amount of moisture in the pears… just a little bit, and that sugar coating bakes in (also, just a little bit) and seems to give the pears an ever so slightly baked "skin". As long as the pear pieces don't get squished in the mixing process (which is why we gently fold them into the batter)… they don't turn to total mush when baking inside the muffin.
The whole concept right from the start was just a simple little muffin that would feature pears and a spice blend I have been working on… but kind of like a simple apple muffin, where you would get little pieces of apple here and there.
As it turns out, pears can be little steam bombs in baked goods, which I didn't really consider going into the first version of the recipe. Probably because I don't really think of a pear as being a "watery" fruit. It's not quite a watermelon or pineapple… a-"pear"-ently (see what I did there)… it's not quite like an apple either.
Which is why there's a whole "half baked pear" step in this version of the recipe. Coating the pears with some confectioners sugar and ginger and half-baking them seems to do two things. It reduces the amount of moisture in the pears… just a little bit, and that sugar coating bakes in (also, just a little bit) and seems to give the pears an ever so slightly baked "skin". As long as the pear pieces don't get squished in the mixing process (which is why we gently fold them into the batter)… they don't turn to total mush when baking inside the muffin.