Along with the garden, we got some fruit trees.
We didn’t realize how many fruit trees there were at first, because some of them were covered in blackberry vines. At the foot of the garden there was a fifteen-foot tall hedge of blackberry, thick with thorny vines. In the middle of the hedge there hung a single red apple. Perhaps there were trees under all those vines, we thought. This is how we discovered the orchard.
Did you know an orchard, technically, is composed of as few as five fruit or nut trees? The garden had nine trees already, and we’ve planted an additional eleven—cherries, pluots, plums, quince, and a peach. We now have twenty fruit trees. That’s far and beyond an orchard.
The new trees aren’t producing yet, but the older ones are. It feels like a gift that appears every fall, this fruit planted by those who came before. Apples, Asian pears, and pears.
This year the pears started dropping with the first rainfall. There are two pear trees, one with soft skin and juicy flesh, I’ve been told it’s an Anjou. It comes ripe first. One day, there they were, lying on the grass below the trees. The onslaught had begun.
I didn’t realize when the fruit comes on it come on. Last fall I was in California this time of year. My mother told me she was inundated, making apple and pear chips in the dehydrator for days and days, but I wasn’t around to see it. I came back in November to jars of fruit chips that lasted until this summer. That’s a lot of fruit.
This year we don’t have as much. A bad pruning job last winter means the fruit trees are putting their energy into branch growth. But still, the pears, when they came on, were substantial. There was a week or so of pear chips, pear butter, and at the end, pear muffins. I think the muffins were my favorite.
The recipe comes from Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights, which could only be a British book title. I picked up a copy while browsing at The Book Larder, Seattle’s new cookbook store that opened this week. It’s a beautiful book, and while I haven’t had a chance to really digest it yet, I liked that it is laid out seasonally and starts with autumn. I’m still trying to get into autumn.
These pear muffins jumped out at me, and since we’re still in the pear onslaught, I jumped into the kitchen to make them. They’re surprisingly light, having no butter or oil, nutty with rolled oats and spelt flour, sweetened with agave syrup or honey. They may be the most appealing “healthy” muffin I’ve come across. I’ve made some changes of my own—added walnuts, some salt, crystallized ginger—but the basics come from Sophie Dahl (who happens to be Roald Dahl’s granddaughter). I’m looking forward to digging deeper into the book.
As for now, the pears continue to fall and the apples have just started to come on. It’s certainly the season. Cozy on up with some muffins and tea. It’s time to stay warm and well fed.
SOPHIE DAHL’S PEAR MUFFINS
Make 12 muffins
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 cup spelt four
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pear puree (I just mashed up a musy pear; Miss Dahl uses organic baby food)
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 c plain yogurt
3/4 cup agave or honey
1 firm pear, peeled, cored, and cut into a small dice
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
OPTIONAL: 1/4 to 1/2 cup crystalized ginger, chopped
Oil for greasing the muffin tins
Extra pear for decoration on the top of the muffins
NOTE: original recipe called for 3/4 cup raisins, which I generally do not like, but I stuck a few in a and they were quite good. They can also be frozen, well wrapped, and toasted to reheat.
Preheat over to 375°
In a medium sized mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients (baking poweder and soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, spelt flour and oats). Stir to blend and make a well in the middle.
Lightly beat the egg whites until they are foamy and hold a bit of their shape.
Add the yogurt, pear puree, and honey/agave to the bowl with the flour mixture and sir to combine. Add the egg whites and gently fold into the batter. Add the diced pear, walnuts, and ginger or raisins if using. Mix briefly to incorporate.
Spoon the batter into muffin tins lined with cupcake liners, or use parchment paper cut into squares. If you prefer to bake strait into the muffin tins, grease them with a bit of oil before.
Fill each muffin tin 3/4 of the way up. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The tops of the muffins will brown slightly, but the insides will remain moist.
Twitter
Flickr
RSS
And what a good idea to use parchment paper in the muffin cups. So simple, and it frames the muffins beautifully – and yet I’d never have thought of it!
I know, I may never use muffin cups again. That’s another tip from Miss Sophie.
I also adore the look of the parchment paper liners. Nice seasonal muffins!
I am hungry for pear muffins now. These are lovely! Thank you for sharing the recipe!!
I would really, really like to visit your orchard one day. You make it all sound magic.
Until then, I’ll take a muffin.
(ps I like that you liked that Nog line too. It was a favourite.)
Both the pears and the muffins (well, especially the muffins!) are gorgeous. I would love me some.
Seattle has a store devoted to cookbooks? I don’t think I’d ever leave. Those muffins look great!
Yum – I have lots of pear and apple sauce that needs to be made into muffins – these look like a lovely departure from our usual recipe. Thank you.
Mmm, my kinda muffin. My parents only have two apple trees and I always feel like they provide way more than we can all handle!
Ok. Now I’ve not said anything for a while… but,…
‘Along with the garden, we got some fruit trees…’
… have I missed something?…
who is we?
XO
Not that sort of “we,” Janet. The garden is at my mum’s place. When I say “we” I mean the family
http://www.teaandcookiesblog.com/2010/04/stalking-wonder-the-secret-garden.html
Miss Dahl’s grandfather wrote James and the Giant peach – my favorite! Yesterday bought apples near ellensburg and made apple walnut cake. Book larder sounds great – must hit it this week.
Those possibly look like the best muffins I have ever seen.
Thank you for sharing the recipe- I look forward to making them.
Hopefully they look as good as yours.
Have a good day.
Rochelle.
Wow! I guess I grew up with an orchard, then! We had at least 4 apple trees, a plum tree, nectarine, two almond trees, and a walnut tree (on just one acre — plus blueberry bushes and a garden). Alas there are only 2 apple and a lemon tree left now, but my parents’ neighbors have lots of fruit trees and are generous …
As I mentioned, seriously beautiful photos! LOVE the parchment paper, but especially the way you’re working with light lately. xo
These look lovely!
I’d love to make them, but don’t have spelt flour. Can they be made with regular flour?
Hi, Susan–
I’ve only made these using the spelt flour, but I imagine they would be fine with regular unbleached white flour.
I only had regular flour on hand and think they came out fine. Of course, I don’t know what they taste like w/ spelt flour…
Cannot wait to get home tonight and make these. What a fantastic recipe!
I noticed in your photos that you have pear slices atop the muffins. Did you place those ontop when they were in the batter state or mid-way through baking?
Thank you!
Good question, Gretchen. I put them on before they went into the oven. The batter is pretty stiff, they won’t sink in.
Hope you enjoy the muffins!
Not sure if you know about it, but Sophie Dahl also has a really adorable and clever cooking show. I just watch the episodes on youtube. Thank you for the beautiful post!
I’ve discovered the youtube clips as well and I’m hooked. Have you watched her special of Mrs. Beeton? It’s quite good as well.
These look beautiful! I love the addition of spelt flour. I’ve been experimenting with that lately. Wonderful pictures of the peaches too. You can tell how ripe they are. I bet these are delicious. Thanks for sharing.
When my ex and I first moved into his new house, we didn’t realize the tree in the back was a pear tree. We realized it pretty quickly once the pears began their onslaught. We were both exceptionally busy at the time and were unable to get to the pears before the ripening, falling and then fermenting process was already well underway! Our backyard reeked! It was quite the mess to clean up in the end. I’ve since moved on and am now nursing a grapefruit seedling in my apartment (did I mention I live in Canada?!)… Apparently, it could take up to twenty years for any sign of fruit… and if it was a hybrid seed, no fruit at all. Fingers crossed! And I’m happy to see that you’ve managed to make use of your pears in such a delicious way!
Someday I will write about the meyer lemon seedling that I am fretting over here in Seattle. It’s in a pot and comes indoors in the winter. I am determined to grow lemons in this cold climate! So far, only blossoms, but I remain hopeful. Good luck with Mr. Grapefruit
I have heard of people successfully growing lemons indoors in all sorts of climes! Blossoms are promising! I hope you’ll write about it here if your tree ever bears fruit!
You can bet if the tree ever bears fruit I will sing it from the rooftops!
I have always been put off muffins because mine always stick to the sides of the pans and i hate those silly frilly liner thingies but here you are doing it with parchment paper and it looks so romantic.. thank you.. my muffin days have been reignited! c
I want the books, I want the muffins, I want it all!!!
I love pears in the fall! In a muffin or any other baked treat, even better!
beautiful photography– you are so creative, and have a great eye. 
love your blog.
Aw, thanks Ann. It’s always a work in progress.
Oh how I would dearly love to wake up to these in the morning. A cup of coffee, a toasty fire, and these yummy muffins!! Loving your blog so much.
Thanks so much, Patricia. I agree–a great morning treat. Must make more myself!
You have done it: made me hungry at 10am when I was considering going for a jog. Thanks. Thanks very much. Really.
These look amazing. I love muffins…always looking for new recipes!
Oh, why aren’t there some warm pear muffins on my kitchen table for breakfast….right now?? Lovely recipe, lovely paper-lined tins. Thanks for this recipe, Tea!
And I am wondering why I didn’t make more and freeze them!
Bought more rolled oats today. There’s another batch of muffins in my future.
PS They would be beautiful with Foggy Morning, a soft fresh cheese from Nicasio.
These are *fantastic*! I used half pear puree (easy to make w/ a stick blender) and half pear butter that I’d put up last year. The pear butter had some cardamom and other spices, which amped up the flavor just a bit. Thanks for a new favorite!
Thanks Tea, love healthful muffin recipes and pears are wonderful right now. Yes, fall always takes getting used to here, but I welcome the rain and the leaves turning like they’re getting ready for a big party. Still, it’s hard this year after feeling cheated on summer. Lucky me, though, I did get an extra few weeks of summer on my vaca….although it felt like I switched from summer to fall in about 16 hours last week.
Oh yum! These look delish!!!
)
I have all the ingredients except agave or honey (just a small scrape left in the jar!) What could I substitute instead? Brown sugar? If so, how much do you think I’d need?
Maybe I should just hit the farmers market in the morning for some more honey and make them for brunch!
I think I would use 1/2 cup sugar. But really, honey or agave (or perhaps maple syrup) would be the better way to go. I’m always nervous substituting ingredients in baked goods. If you don’t get the ratios right, it can be a total disaster. Good luck!
Tea, these are fantastic. I made them today with pear/apple sauce and an apple that had been lying around in the fridge. I added dried cranberries instead of raisins because I couldn’t find my raisins (I really need to organize my baking drawer!) and the clock was ticking down to boy’s soccer…They are wonderful and flavourful and not too sweet. Thanks.
So glad you like them. I thought it was a really good recipe as well. Making more tomorrow, for the freezer!
Made these this morning and they are SO good. I love that there isn’t any oil/butter and that the spelt flour gives them a nice nutritional boost. My husband and I each gobbled down two of them:)
They look amazing! I’m going to borrow this recipe:) Barefoot Mama
What beautiful muffins these are. I came to your site via another Sophie, the one from the Mostly Eating blog. I actually have the book your recipe came from, but have never noticed the pear muffins.
And how lovely to make with fruit from your own orchard. There’s something deliciously exciting about the word “orchard” isn’t there. We have a lime tree in our garden, but just the one. So definitely not an orchard but that one tree alone gives me a huge amount of enjoyment.
Thanks for posting, I’ve bookmarked for when autumn comes round on our side of the globe.
You have a lime tree in your garden?!!! Huge envy over here. I miss the citrus that grew in yards in California. Apples are nice, but give me a lime or lemon any day!
We only recently moved into our house and at first I thought it was a lemon tree, which was exciting enough. And then I found out it was a lime, which is quite wonderful. The tree has been in full fruit since the moment we walked in the door.
Argh, now you’re just torturing me! In full fruit? That makes me want to cry with citrus envy.
Really, I’m happy for you. I promise
Uuuh I loveloveLOVE, Miss Dahl and her Voluptuous Delights. I read it all the way through twice when I got it for Christmas last year, and she did a series for the BBC with it too, which I could watch endlessly.
Not only love the parchment idea but the organic pear baby food if you can’t find or have good mushy pears.
What is spelt flour? I’m off to Whole Foods…can’t wait to make these for company coming this weekend. Also have to look up this cookbook. I read them like novels…