PEAR & PISTACHIO CHOCOLATE MUFFINS
Pears are one of my favourite fruits. Fragrant, sweet, and crisp, they are very delicious dipped in chocolate, which is what inspired this recipe. The pears are pureed and then incorporated into the batter itself, making the muffins moist and tender. The unsweetened cocoa powder gives them that bitter chocolate note, and the pistachios add just a tad of crunch, making for an interesting texture.
They are completely egg and dairy free, which makes them suitable for vegans and vegetarians, too. You need to be careful when baking, and test them with a toothpick, to make sure they are done but not overbaked. Serve them warm, with a breakfast or tea topping of your choice. In addition, if you happen to have any of them left over, they toast fantastically, I have to admit.
Ingredients
250 grams fresh pears, peeled and cored
120 ml cold water
100 grams coconut sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
180 grams plain flour
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons semolina
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
50 grams chopped pistachios
Preparation
Place the peeled, cored, and diced pears into a food processor, along with the cold water and pulse at first, then let the machine blend for about a minute, until everything is completely blended and made into a puree. Pour the puree into a large bowl, add the sugar and vegetable oil and whisk it briefly. Let the sugar melt into the fruit puree while you sift the dry ingredients.
Sift the flour with the cocoa powder, baking powder, and semolina, then add it to the puree, along with the pistachios, and whisk until blended. Do not overmix the batter. Transfer it to six standard muffin cups (lined with paper liners) and bake them in a preheated oven, at 200˚C (400˚F), for about 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean. Serve them warm with jam. Yields 6 standard muffins.
By Tina Vesić
