Pear-blackberry Pie with Cardamom

The blackberries give the pie a nice color and the pear rounds out the flavor of the the berries.

Ingredients:

Filling

• 4 fresh pears, unpeeled
• 1½ cups fresh or frozen blackberries
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Crumb Topping

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons brown
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Core and slice the pears. Mix all the filling ingredients together well. Pour into the pie shell.

Add the dry ingredients for the crumb topping to a food processor or blender, pulse to combine, then add the butter. Mix until the topping comes together into crumbs. Add to the top of the pie. Bake for 70-80 minutes and let pie cool on wire rack before serving.

Yield: one 9-inch single-crust pie.

Pear Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of peeled, shredded, drained, and pressed pears (about 1 large or 2 small pears)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 2/3 cup canola oil

• 1 cup, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 2 large eggs, beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pans with 12 baking cups.

2. Combine pears, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Mix on medium low until well combined, about 1 minute.

3. Slowly pour in oil. Continue mixing until combined. Scrape bowl to completely incorporate.

4. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom and nutmeg. Add to batter. mix on medium just until combined. Add eggs and mix until smooth, about 10-20 seconds. Scrape bowl to well mix.

5. Scoop batter into prepared baking cups, filling them ¾ full.

6. Baked in middle of oven for 20 – 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.

7. The cupcakes are done when centers spring back to touch.

8. Let cool completely.

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Pear Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup pear, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 500°F.  Line muffin tin with 12 baking cups
2. Blend together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cardamom and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. Beat the liquid ingredients together — milk, oil, and eggs — until they are light.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Take a fork or wire whisk and blend the two for 20 seconds — no more!
5. Scoop batter into prepared baking cups, filling them 2/3 to  3/4 full.
6. Place muffins in the oven and immediately drop temperature to 400°F*.
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until muffins test done.

Yield: 12 muffins

*When you put muffins in a very hot oven and immediately drop the temperature, you help create the high peaks that make them so appealing.

 

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