Rosemary and Pear Muffins

MAKES ABOUT 24 MINI MUFFINS • PREP TIME: 15 minutes • COOK TIME: 15 minutes

Here’s a surprising combination. Rosemary tends to be assertive, while pears go mellow; together they make an unbeatable team. This muffin is as Mediterranean as they come. Draw a direct line from Florence to Provence, and this puppy’s flavor lands right in the middle.

2 cups almond meal
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 large organic eggs
3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoon Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup
1/2 cup diced ripe Anjou pear
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced fresh rosemary

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a mini muffin tin or line it with muffin papers.

In a bowl, mix together the almond meal, salt, pepper, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, olive oil, lemon juice, water, and maple syrup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir well to combine. Then add in the pears, walnuts, and rosemary. Fill each muffin cup with about 2 tablespoons of batter.Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Reprinted with permission from The Healthy Mind Cookbook Copyright © 2015 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.