Feeling like Autumn

 For many places, the cool touch of Autumn has long begun.  Bu t in my space of the world, this is the first full week of temperatures below 75, and yes that is cold to us southerners.
This particular day had a nice cold high of a wet 68.  So, after slipping into some soft cotton pants, I made hot tea and sat to update my journal with my recent trip to Galveston and a few other tid bits that have been going on.

 And then, I just couldn't take it anymore!  I had to bake something!  My first thought was banana nut bread, but I was out of bananas...and nuts.  Looking around I found an over-ripe pear that was almost beyond eating, and I had an idea: I would modify my banana bread recipe for pear muffins.  Oh my!  they turned out beyond fabulous! The butter I used for the crumble top was a bit too melted, so it looks a bit odd in the picture, but the taste is still the same.

Pear Muffins, Small Batch:
1 very ripe pear, peeled and diced
1 egg
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup rice flour

Crumble Topping:
TB butter
TB brown sugar
TB rice flour

Preheat oven to 350
Mix together all the wet ingredients and smash up the pear a little bit.  Add sugar and mix well.  Add rice flour and mix well.  Pour into paper muffin cups in a tin muffin pan (should make about 5-6).
For topping: crumple butter, sugar, and flour together and sprinkle on top of muffins.
Bake about 40 minutes.

Stay cozy!