Pear Walnut Cupcakes

I had a ton of pears that were about to spoil in my fridge, so I went online to try and find something I could do with them. I found a recipe for a pear cake and decided to give it a try.

[source]

I didn't have a bunt cake pan, so I made cupcakes and a loaf instead. Both turned out amazing! Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures while cooking them, and I've already eaten half the goods, so you'll just have to make them for yourself if you want to see what they look like :)

These are really easy to make, and are relatively healthy. Make them this week and let me know what you think!

Recipe, heavily adapted from here.

Pear Walnut Cupcakes/Loaf
Makes 12 cupcakes and one loaf

Ingredients

• 4 cups peeled, cored and chopped pears
• 1 1/2 cups sugar [I used 1 cup Splenda, 1 cup sugar]
• 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 egg whites
• 2/3 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Combine the pears and sugar
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a loaf pan. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan.
3. Slightly beat the egg whites and combine them with the apple sauce and cinnamon. Stir into the pear mixture. Divide the batter into the prepared pans.
4. Bake the cupcakes at 325 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes. Bake the loaf for around 45 minutes. Check for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the middle. When it comes out clean it's done. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before stuffing your face removing from pan.

This cake is highly adaptable, so have fun with it. Add nutmeg and cloves for a spicier cake. Add pecans instead of walnuts, if you'd like. Heck, add some chocolate chips. Go crazy!