Cranberry Pear Muffins

Hearty yet tender, these flavorful muffins are bursting with fresh cranberries, pears, and oatmeal. They get a zing of flavor from orange zest, and are topped with crunchy cinnamon streusel. I gilded the lily and drizzled a little orange glaze over the top. It makes them so pretty!

To be honest with you, I didn’t really expect to like these. In fact, I was kind of counting on that. (Stupid diet.) I’ve never been very fond of pears, and was worried that the cranberries would be too tart. Nope. Sweet, slightly tangy, and delightful. Nom nom.

What a sweet little breakfast these would be for a holiday morning.

1. 1. For the streusel topping: Combine all dry ingredients for streusel topping. Stir in melted butter and set aside.

2. For the muffins: Heat oven to 191°C (375° F). Put 18 paper liners in muffin pans. In small bowl, combine buttermilk and oats. Stir well and set mixture aside to soften while you prepare the batter.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk or sift. Add cranberries, pears, and orange zest. Toss with a large spoon.

4. In a small bowl, combine milk, egg, oil, and vanilla and mix well. Make a well in the mixture of the buttermilk/oat mixture, pour the liquids in all at once, and stir to combine. Add the flour/fruit mixture, folding it in gently and being careful not to over-mix. If you see a few wisps of flour, that’s just fine. Divide evenly between prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with streusel topping.

5. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a muffin, about 20-25 minutes. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove muffins from pan to cool completely.

6. For the icing (optional): In a small bowl combine the confectioners’ sugar with enough liquid to make it thick but still pourable. If desired, add meringue powder to help stiffen the mixture. Drizzle over the muffins and allow to dry.