Pear and Cinnamon Muffin Recipe - The Imagination Tree

Make this delicious pear and cinnamon muffin recipe as a fun idea for cooking with kids. Cooking is great for maths, motor skills, concentration and science!

Here’s the latest in our series of fabulous guest posts from fantastic bloggers around the world. Here is Deb from Learn with Play at Home sharing a favourite recipe for cooking with kids.

I love cooking with the kids. Yes, it takes a bit longer and yes, there’s usually more mess to clean up, but I’ve found that over the years, the kids have been getting better and better with their kitchen skills, and our cooking experiences are getting quicker, easier and less mess. It won’t be long and I can just stand back and leave them to it. (I wonder if they’ll take dinner orders?)

Aside from the fine motor skills, the scientific concepts we explore, the maths skills we practice and the language we use, I find that cooking and preparing food together allows us opportunities to organically discuss issues surrounding food, healthy eating and healthy living. I also find that my children are more likely to try new foods when they’ve been part of the cooking process.

With one child in school and one about to start kinder, we’ve been busy in the kitchen, preparing all sorts of yummy, more health-conscious treats to pop in the lunchbox. Muffins are a particular favourite of ours to make as they come in individual serving sizes already, you can easily mix and match ingredients for different varieties and they freeze and defrost well. Here is our pear and cinnamon muffin recipe. Enjoy!

Pear and Cinnamon Muffins

Gather all your ingredients and go through the steps with your children before you start. Today, my 2 children helped me out with individual steps each.

Sift your flour into a large bowl. Add the sugar and cinnamon then

Peel, core and dice your pears. This step may require some assistance depending on your child’s skills.

Add the diced pear to the flour mix and carefully stir through.

Crack your egg into a separate jug

Add your milk and oil and whisk to combine

Make a well in the centre of your dry ingredients and add you wet ingredients

Carefully combine the mixture without over stirring

Divide the muffin mixture between your muffin tins. This recipe will make 12 large muffins or around 15 medium muffins. You can increase the fruit content to spread the mix even further.

Finish the muffins with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon and some optional brown sugar on top. You could also save some of your diced fruit and sprinkle that on top as well.

Bake in a medium oven for approx. 20 minutes or until they are done and the tops spring back when pressed. As all ovens cook things a little differently, be sure to check them after about 15 minutes and then get them out as soon as they are done.

Best eaten fresh, these muffins freeze well and will defrost in a lunchbox ready for snacktime.

Pear and Cinnamon Muffins Recipe

Ingredients:

Self-raising flour- 2 cups sifted
Brown sugar- 1/2 cup
Cinnamon- 2tsps ground
Ripe pears- 3 or 4 peeled, cored and diced
Milk- 2/3 cup
Olive oil- 1/4 cup
Egg- 1

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C (356˚F) and lightly spray muffin tin with cooking oil
Combine the dry ingredients and carefully stir through your diced pear
Whisk your wet ingredients together and pour into a well in your dry ingredients
Carefully combine all your ingredients together without over stirring and then fill muffin tray with mix
Sprinkle the top of each muffin with some extra cinnamon and option brown sugar
Bake for 20 minutes or until done. They should spring back when pressed on top.

Here are some of our most popular recipes for cooking with kids:

For even more kid-friendly recipes as well as tons of educational ideas and activities for kids, pop over to our play based learning site, Learn with Play at Home or come and follow us on facebook. Written by Aussie mum and teacher, Debs.