February 2026 Entries

Pear and Ginger muffins from Nigella Express, made egg-free so my daughter with egg allergies can eat them. They are my go-to recipe when I have pears ripening too quickly, and they are often requested by my family. I use 15ml Orgran egg-replacer with 60ml water to the wet ingredients, I also use vanilla extract, maple syrup instead of honey, crème fraîche instead of sour cream, rice bran oil instead of corn oil, and I purée the pear with all the wet ingredients. To the dry ingredients I add 1/4 tsp bicarb soda and 1/2 tsp salt. I top the muffins with raw sugar for a delicious caramelised crunch when fresh out of the oven. They have often been declared to be "the best muffins ever" by those who have tried them.