Lemon Ricotta Pear Muffins with Pistachio Oat Streusel ( x Saputo)

Aaaaaaand we are back to regularly scheduled programming. Except not really. Because I have never had a “regular schedule” on this blog despite how much I want one. Maybe that should be my new year’s resolution. I will make that my resolution. I will even write it down because writing it down makes it more official. That is how it works, right?

Hi! Happy New Year! I am kicking off the new year with the first batch of muffins to grace this blog! New year, new me – am I doing this correctly? I did not really make any resolutions for the new year. I made some quasi-resolutions as of eight seconds ago. Can they still be thrown under the general label of ‘resolutions’ if they do not have concrete end points or run on a predetermined timeline? Whatever they are labelled, here are some things I hope you will see come to fruition on this blog.

1. I know for certain that I want to be more active on this blog. Maybe even more than once a week if I am being really ambitious. 
2. I also want to branch out to more than just layered cakes. Contrary to what my blog might suggest, I do bake more than just layer cakes. I would say I make cookies more often than I make cake. There is a greater amount of cake recipes here because photographing and styling cakes is something that comes more naturally to me.
3. Spend less money on food styling props/bakeware that I will only use once. I am just such a sucker for everything inside Anthropologie.
4. Stop breaking all my rubber spatulas
5. Stop eating an entire cake when developing a recipe and “taste testing”

Wish me luck with these resolutions.

Back to muffins!

When I am at a cafe or a bakery, muffins are usually not my go-to. I much prefer rich viennoiseries or a big slice of coffeecake. I also really love savoury scones. But when muffins have streusel or crumb topping, that is a whole different story. I am a huge sucker for streusel. I believe that most things are better with streusel. Bars, muffins, ice cream sundaes, you name it. When Saputo reached out to me to create a muffin with their ricotta cheese, I knew it had to be topped with streusel. In this case, a pistachio oat streusel. I love the texture and extra sweetness and nuttiness that this streusel brings to the dreamy lemon ricotta muffins. These muffins are also studded with mini cubes of pears folded in the batter. Because of both the pears and the ricotta, these muffins are and stay incredibly moist. 

You can find the recipe for these lemon ricotta pear muffins on Saputo’s website here. Thank you, Saputo, for supporting this blog! You can find other great sweet and savoury recipes on their website. While you are baking, I will be working v hard on making those resolutions happen.