Apple Cinnamon Granola Muffins

I really like muffins as a good "on the go" breakfast for weekday mornings. These muffins are really light on fat and taste very much like a handful of granola...you take that to mean what you want. I happen to like the granola I used, it is Cinnamon Apple Granola from Bear Naked so I find these muffins tasty. As Beck commented "these are good, but they are not donuts."

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup granola ground up in food processor (roughly about 1/2 cup whole granola)

3/4 cup whole granola

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground clove

1/2 tsp ground fennel

2 large eggs

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tbs almond oil (sub veg oil)

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup fresh or canned pears pureed

1/4 cup applesauce

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and spray liners with cooking spray.
• Puree 1/2 can pears or 1 small pear to yield 1/4 cup pear puree. Add pear puree and applesauce and mix in 3/4 cup whole granola. Allow granola to soak for 20 minutes.
• In food processor, grind about 1/2 cup granola to equal about 1/4 cup finely chopped granola. Should have a slightly chunky, flour like consistency. Whisk together ground granola, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and fennel.
• In a stand mixer, whisk together eggs and sugar to a creamy, thick paste. Add oil and yogurt and mix on high for about 1 minute.
• Pour liquid into dry ingredients and add pear, applesauce and granola mixture. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Fill muffin tin 3/4 full and sprinkle some granola on top of batter.
• Bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees.