Gingerbread Pear Muffins

I received an email yesterday that began like this....
Hey Erika where are you..??
So Dear reader.. Firstly.. thanks for the email y'all are all so sweet..
The answer was very simple.. I was in a food coma.. 

I ate way too much over the holiday and frankly, honestly, truly.. My brain malfunctions when this happens. Prohibiting me the ability to think clearly..
Or it could of been that vodka fruit punch… 

Anyway.. I don't know about you but I have a really hard time getting back in the groove of things after being on holiday..
So do my kids..

So it's twice as difficult because when I heard the alarm ringing on Monday reminding me to get up and get the troops up, fed, and ready for school. I immediately laid back down thinking.. “oh, mom will get them”
Then I remembered… I'm the mom…
30 minutes later..
Which meant everyone was late for work and school because for some reason nothing can happen in my house until I get up.
Luckily I made these muffins the day before so all I had to do was warm them up and send everyone on their way with warm gingerbread.. Just call me June Cleaver..

Gingerbread Pear Muffins
Print Me
recipe adapted from the Bread Bible

2 pears (Bartlett) peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground mace
½ cup sour cream
1 stick of butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350. Grease large muffin tin pan ( makes 6 muffins)
In a medium bowl, gently toss pears with the sugar and cider and set aside.
Using an electric mixer, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and mace.  Drain the pears, reserving the juice in a separate large bowl.
To the juice..add in sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and maple syrup and whisk together until smooth.
Add juice/sour cream mixture to the flour mixture in mixer and mix until fluffy and smooth.. How many times do you see the word mix..
Fill each muffin cup halfway, spoon pears on top.. then cover each with remaining batter.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
These were best served warm..
And even better the next day.