Glazed Pear Muffins

POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 18 min
Cooking Time: 35 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
These pear muffins are topped with a delicious, slightly-spiced ginger glaze. They're great for breakfast, brunch or as a gift for your favorite hostess.

Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray
2 large pear(s), ripe, Bosc, with skin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup(s) sugar, granulated
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup(s) sour cream
1 large egg(s), beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour, unbleached
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup(s) powdered sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp water, warm, or more if necessary

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375ºF and coat a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray (or muffin liners).
Core and chop pears into tiny cubes; place in a large bowl. Add cinnamon, granulated sugar and lemon juice to pears; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla and milk; set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
Make a well with a spoon in center of flour mixture and pour in sour cream mixture and fruit mixture, alternating in small batches; mix until barely blended. Do not over beat. (NOTE: Batter will be very thick.)

Drop batter into prepared muffin holes until about 2/3 to 3/4 full; bake until top is golden, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in muffin pan; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. (Or leave slightly warm to dip into glaze for easier preparation.)

While muffins are cooling, make glaze: Mix together powdered sugar, ginger, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and warm water in a small bowl (add another teaspoon of water if glaze is too thick).

Spread a thin layer of glaze over each muffin. Yields 1 muffin per serving.