Won't Miss the Butter Pear Muffins

My father gave me a couple of Asian pears that were past their prime, so I had to find a way to eat them fast. It would be boring if I just chop them up and eat them every day. Plus, the best way of dealing with over ripe fruit is by cooking them (think banana nut bread), so I searched for a pear breakfast recipe that I can serve my husband in the morning (I've been on a mission to get him fat...well, more like less skinny).

Recipes like that were hard to come by, so when I found a Weight Watchers recipes for Glazed Pear Muffins, I went for it. I ordinary don't go out of my way to make something low fat, nor do I like icing or glaze, so I was very pleasantly surprised by how well they turned out.


I was skeptical at first. The recipe did not call for any butter or oil at all. Even Ellie Kreiger's healthy low fat muffins call for at least a couple of tablespoons worth of grease. The Weight Watchers muffins came out looking dry, but don't let it fool you. The recipe uses sour cream, milk and natural juices from the fruit to keep it moist. Spices like cinnamon and ginger kept it flavorful and warm, and the lemon juice really brought out the fruit and added brightness.

If you know me, you would know by now that I made the recipe by own. Here's what I did:

• instead of Bosc pears, I used my Asian pears, and removed their skin
  
• I like texture in my baked goods, so I added some chopped walnuts (about 1/4C)
  
• instead of using water to make the glaze, I used lemon juice to add tang and flavor
• I wasn't aiming to make it totally low fat, so I used the 2% milk that I had, not the fat free milk called for
  
• I grated some lemon zest into the batter for added flavor (about 1 Tbs)
  

Between the moisture in the muffins and the yummy glaze, you won't miss the grease. I sure didn't!