makes 1 dozen muffins

1 large pear
1 1/2 c. whole wheat or spelt flour
1 c. vegan sugar (such as evaporated cane juice crystals)
1/4 c. almond meal
1 Tbs. flaxseed powder
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
dash cayenne pepper
3-5 dashes cinnamon
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1/2 c. almond milk 
1/2 c. chai tea concentrate
2 Tbs. almond oil
1 c. almonds, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Thinly slice pear into dime sized pieces. Set aside. Combine flour, sugar, almond meal, flax, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix well. Add lemon juice, ginger, almond milk, chai and oil. Stir until well blended, but do not over-stir your muffin mix. (You want it to stay light and fluffy.) Fold in chopped almonds. Fold in pear pieces, reserving about 2 Tbs. for topping.

Fill muffin pan with batter. Add a garnish of pear pieces, almonds and a sprinkle of sugar to the top of each muffin. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until tops are browned. Cool for about 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Source: The Lunchbox Bunch