Fresh pears and raspberries flavor these moist and tasty ricotta muffins.
To start, measure out all of the ingredients. Sift all of the ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.
First melt the butter and let cool to room temperature.
Measure all of the wet ingredients and let them also come to room temperature before starting.
First wash the raspberries and set on a paper towel to dry thoroughly.
Peel and core the pear. Cut the pear into about 1/2" -inch cubes. Place into a bowl and squeeze the lemon juice over top. Toss gently to coat to prevent the pears from turning brown.
To start, preheat your oven to 350° F (175° C).
If your muffin tin is not non-stick, grease the tin with a light coating of butter or cooking spray and set aside.
Before mixing, make sure all of the other wet ingredients are at room temperature.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs and ricotta together until smooth. Whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, lemon zest and butter.
To mix the batter, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold the mixture together. Do not over mix. It’s okay to still see some dry flour in the batter.
Add the fruit to the batter and gently fold to incorporate. During the final folding, any dry ingredients will be fully mixed in.
Once the fruit has been folded in, immediately divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.
Quickly sprinkle the muffins with the sliced almonds, if desired, and place directly into the oven. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Once done, let the muffins cool for at least 15 minutes in the tin. Remove and serve. These are great when served just a bit warm.
These muffins can be filled with a variety of berries and/or apples.
Like most baked goods, these muffins are best when baked and eaten on the same day.