Prep 25 mins | Cook 25 mins + cooling time | Makes 6

6 small just-ripe (about 140g each) pears (like Williams or Packham)
1 tbs lemon juice
1½ cups self-raising flour, sifted
⅓ cup caster sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ cup buttermilk
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup rice bran or vegetable oil
¾ cup natural muesli
2 tbs demerara sugar or raw sugar

STEP 1: Preheat oven 180°C fan-forced. Line a 6 hole x ¾ cup capacity muffin pan with café papers or large muffin papers.

STEP 2: Cut 3 cm from the top of each pear, leaving the stem intact. Set tops aside. Quarter, core and finely chop 3 of the remaining pears. Gently toss chopped pears in lemon juice. The remaining unchopped pears are not required for this recipe – give them to the kids to nibble on while the muffins are baking.

STEP 3: Combine flour, caster sugar and spices in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Whisk buttermilk, eggs and oil in a jug until well combined. Add buttermilk mixture, chopped pears (drain juice) and ½ cup muesli to dry ingredients. Stir until just combined (don’t overmix).

STEP 4: Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Gently press a pear top (stem-side up) into the centre of each muffin. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup muesli and the demerara or raw sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean. Stand for 10 minutes in pan then turn out onto a wire rack to cool and serve.