pears substitute
in muffins.

Pears in muffins must fight gravity for the full 22-minute bake or they sink into a soggy bottom band; dust 8mm cubes in 1 tablespoon flour and fold them in with only 10 strokes so you don't overmix the batter into toughness. Fill paper cup liners to 85% full — higher than plain muffins — because pear moisture flattens the dome by about 15% during rise.

Unlike pears in cake where a small dice melts into the crumb, in muffins you want chunks large enough to read visually through the tops after bake, so keep cubes at 8-10mm and reserve a handful to press into the surface before the oven goes in. Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes to set the dome, then drop to 375°F for 17 minutes to finish without burning the streusel.

A toothpick through fruit reads wet — test between pockets. Unlike pears in scones where cold butter creates lift, muffin lift comes from baking powder reacting fast in a wet batter; do not chill the tin before filling or you delay the reaction and the fruit drops.