Pear Sauce and Oatmeal Muffins

One fall I was given a box of very ripe pears.  They were too ripe for canning whole so I made them into pear sauce.  My grandchildren gobbled up that pear sauce like there was no tomorrow and were very disappointed indeed when I told them we’d used the last jar.  Since then, I’ve made pear sauce every autumn. 

I use pear sauce in my baking in the same way I use applesauce.  I’m particularly fond of the flavour it adds to these muffins.  If you don’t have pear sauce in your cupboard, applesauce will make a good substitute, or you might choose to purée some canned pears and use that.  I’ve tried both applesauce and pear purée in this recipe.  Both produce a nice moist muffin, each with its own distinct taste.

To make Pear Sauce and Oatmeal Muffins, you’ll need:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of canola oil
• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1-1/2 cups pear sauce
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups oatmeal (not instant)
• 2 tesapoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins, soaked in hot water and drained
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Beat the eggs.  Mix in the canola oil, brown sugar, and pear sauce.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Mix them until they’re well combined.  Add the raisins and toss them through the mixture until they’re lightly coated with flour.

Stir the dry mixture into the pear sauce mixture, just until they’re combined.  The batter will be lumpy.

Spoon the batter into buttered muffin tins.  The recipe usually makes between 16 and 18 muffins. 

If there are any unused cups in your muffin tin, pour a little water into them.  Doing so will help to distribute the heat more evenly throughout the pan and will prevent the pan from warping.

Bake the muffins at 350˚F for 25 to 30 minutes.  When they’re done, the muffins will be lightly browned and springy to the touch.

These muffins are good served either hot or cold and go very well with a soft mild cheese like Brie.