Caramel Pear Cornbread Muffins

These are best served warm for breakfast or dessert with some more caramel pear or ice cream or custard. Absolutely delicious!
You can also use this recipe for apple, pineapple etc, and let your taste buds have fun!
Please note, if use pears which are quite soft when cooked, they will 'disappear' whilst baking, but you will still get the flavours. This is normal so don't worry!  Thank you Love Foodies

7 oz package of Cornbread muffin mix included the extras you need as specified on the package.
3 medium pears peeled, & cubed
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar.
Squeeze of lemon Juice
1/4 Teaspoon Pumpkin or Mixed Spice

• Peel, slice and chop the fruit into small cubes. 
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice and toss in a bowl to stop the fruit going brown.
• Add all the ingredients to the pan, EXCEPT the spices.
• Bring to the boil 
• When it starts bubbling, remove from the heat
• Add your spices and allow to cool.
• Preheat oven to 190C/ 475F.
• Grease or line the muffin pans.
• Make up the muffin mix as instructions on package 
• Add batter to each muffin case, about 2/3 full in each.
• Using a teaspoon, place enough caramel pears in each muffin until the batter comes nearly to the top on the muffin cases. 
• If you have any caramel liquid in the bowl, you can add it too
• If you have any pear left over, you can reheat and pour over the muffins when serving!
• Place muffins in the oven for roughly 8 mins
• Remove and leave cool on a rack to cool

Pear and Maple Syrup Banana Bread

This cake recipe is a brilliant way to use up browning bananas in the fruit bowl. It's all the more sticky and decadent with the addition of pears. 

100g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
3 (about 250g) really ripe and speckly bananas (see tip)
100g golden caster sugar
2 ripe but still firm comice pears, cored and chopped, dusted in a little flour
1 tbsp maple syrup, plus extra to serve
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large free-range egg
150g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g pecans, roughly chopped

• Heat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. 
• Grease and line a 1 litre loaf tin with baking paper so it overhangs the short edges of the tin 
• Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl 
• Stir in the melted butter and caster sugar with a wooden spoon until well combined. 
• Stir through the pears, the maple syrup and vanilla extract 
• Beat in the egg. 
• Sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda
• Gently fold in, along with the pecans, using a metal spoon.
• Pour the mix into the loaf tin, then bake for 45 minutes. 
• The cake should be dark on top with a soft, moist sponge. 
• Check it’s done by poking a skewer into the centre – if it comes out clean it’s ready. 
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out onto a wire rack to cool.
• Drizzle with extra maple syrup to serve.

Apple, Pear and Cranberry Crisp

A perfect Fall dessert. Thank you Spoonful of Flavor

For the fruit filling:
2 pears, peeled, cored and chopped into large chunks
4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped into large chunks
3/4 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
zest and juice from one lemon

For the topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup light brown sugar
pinch of salt

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Grease an 8-inch square baking dish and set aside
• In a large bowl, combine pears, apples, cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, zest and juice. 
• Stir to coat the fruit. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the butter, oats, flour, cinnamon, sugar and salt. 
• Stir well until combined.
• Pour the fruit filling into the prepared baking dish and top with the oat topping.
• Baked uncovered for 35-40 minutes, or until top is golden brown and crisp is bubbling around the edges.
• Serve warm.