Bleu Cheese & Pear Muffins

 I am not what someone would call a 'picky eater'. I  love all kinds of food, especially flavors that are unique, and I feel there is no harm in trying everything at least once. I love this recipe because it uses two familiar ingredients that most wouldn't think to combine, creating a unique flavor of it's own.

The first time I made these Bleu Cheese Pear Muffins I thought for sure they'd be a hit, so I kindly brought them to my mom's house for the whole family to enjoy. I forgot, though, bleu cheese does not sound very enticing to many people, and to those people it can taste even worse than it sounds. Turns out my brother, sister, and mother all loathe bleu cheese. I had to force these down their throats get on my knees begging them to try just one! My hard work ended up getting disgusted looks, and spit into the trash.

Oh well. That just meant more for me and the Man, which we were perfectly fine with. At least We know how to enjoy the wonderful tang of bleu cheese. :)

This recipe calls for the muffins to be made in a mini muffin pan, but this time I wanted to try regular sized muffins. They were both good, however the mini muffins pack so much more flavor into them. A flavor that I should clarify I absolutely love. I really appreciate the flavor that bleu cheese delivers. Whenever I see anything that incorporates bleu cheese, I die to try it. The tanginess of the cheese is a great counterpart to the sweet pears. Definitely a wonderful team that any true Foodie will enjoy. :)

Mini Bleu Cheese & Pear Muffins-

(Adapted from the book 1 Mix, 100 Muffins, by Susanna Tee)

Oil or melted butter, for greasing - You can always just stick with cooking spray

14 oz. canned pear halves, drained and diced into small pieces (see Tip at bottom)

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

Ground black pepper

Heaping 1 cup bleu cheese of your choice, finely crumbled

2 eggs

1 cup milk

6 Tbsp. sunflower oil, or melted, cooled butter

¼ cup walnut pieces (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease two 24-cup mini muffin pans, or line with paper liners.

Into a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in the bleu cheese and diced pears.

In a seperate bowl, lightly beat the eggs then beat in the milk and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Scatter the walnuts over the tops of the muffins, if using. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Tips:

   *You may use any bleu cheese that is to your liking, but Stilton cheese is most paired with pears.

   *Like I said before, these can be made in a regular muffin pan but won't pack as much punch as the mini muffins will.

   *The recipe calls for canned pears, but I used 3 fresh, very ripe pears.

Enjoy! :)

Here is the photo of these muffins taken from the cookbook. Hopefully it looks more appetizing to you than my own. :)

Photo courtesy of Clive Bozzard-Hill, 1 mix, 100 muffins