I have just discovered something amazing! I have “invented” a flavor-of-the-day muffin recipe that is fairly full proof. I have used it several times to make various muffins from run of the mill to exotic.

A couple of weeks ago it was pineapple coconut muffins, and today it is pear blueberry muffins with ginger and cardamom spices.  It is tender and soft and full of fruity and spicy flavors.

I realize I have not technically invented this generic flavor-your-own muffin recipe. Somewhere in the world there are thousands, maybe millions of pastry chefs who already know a great list of ingredients and measurements that can be mixed up to create a uniquely flavored muffin each time.

But I am not a pastry chef and have no culinary arts degree, and I L-O-V-E that I can make any muffin I can think of using this go-to recipe template which I have created. Now my possibilities are endless and yours can be too.

For example, today I had a couple of pears sitting on my counter, getting a bit too soft. I kept thinking how lovely it would be to have a nice pear ginger muffin, but then my creative juices started flowing wildly throughout my brain and I realized fresh, plump blueberries were in the fridge, and I had a leftover package of almond meal needing a use.

I hope you try my template and make your own flavor-of-the-day muffin depending on what’s in your fridge. Please let me know your additions which personalized it for you!

Geni’s Fill-In-The- Blanks Muffin Recipe
Adapted for Pear Blueberry Muffins
Please note I have abbreviated “pear blueberry muffins” with “pb” in the recipe below.
Makes one dozen muffins
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. Your choice of wheat or other flour. I used almond meal for pb.
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. Cinnamon if it works with your version or leave it out (Leave out for pb).
1 t. spice that pairs with your version (Ginger for pb)
1/2 t. of either cardamom, nutmeg or cloves (cardamom for pb)
1/2 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Buttermilk, low-fat milk, nonfat plain yogurt or coconut milk (l.f. milk for pb)
1/2 c, juice that compliments your flavors or if no juice works then add an extra 1/4 c. of the milk you used (I used apple-pear cinnamon juice from Trader Joe’s)
1 egg
1/2 c mashed banana or 1/4 c. applesauce or pureed peeled pears, or other pureed fruit (pears for pb recipe), or leave this out if you prefer.
1/4 c canola oil
1 c. Your chopped fruit addition, chocolate chips or berries (blueberries for pb)
*If you are going with a citrus flavor profile, then add 1 t. of citrus fruit zest to match your flavor.
*1/2 c. Chopped nuts if you would like.

To make the muffins: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Put muffin liners in muffin pan.

Combine flour through sugar and whisk together. In a separate bowl, combine milk through Canola oil and beat together. Add wet ingredients to dry and fold together. Gently fold in any additional fruit, chocolate chips and or nuts.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  I sprinkled these with a pinch of sugar over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and slightly firm to the touch or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Here are some other flavor combinations:
Apple blueberry muffins: Wheat flour for the 1/2 c. flour choice, Cinnamon,  1 t. nutmeg, apple juice, blueberries.

Orange Rosemary: Almond flour for 1/2 c. Flour choice, no cinnamon, 1/2 t. Cardamom, 1 T. Finely chopped FRESH rosemary, orange juice, no chopped fruit or fruit purée, 1 t. Orange zest.

See Pineapple coconut muffins post.

Coconut chocolate muffins : 1/2 c. almond meal for your flour choice, 1/2 t. cardamom for your only spice, coconut milk instead of the buttermilk, no fruits or fruit puree or use 1/2 c. of mashed banana (ooooh.),  chocolate chips, 1/4 t.coconut extract and nut of your choice. Chopped almonds would be lovely. If your batter is a little stiff, add another 1/4 c. of coconut milk. Think Almond Joy in a muffin!