Pear Breakfast Popovers

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup (half a stick) butter
• 2 firm ripe USA Pears, such as Green Anjou or Bosc, medium dice
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• Maple syrup for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.Melt the butter in the microwave in a medium bowl, about 30 seconds. Dip the corner of a paper towel in the butter and lightly grease a 12-muffin tin, including about ½ an inch around the edges of each muffin cup.
2. Add the diced pears and cinnamon to the bowl with the remaining butter and gently stir to combine. Divide the pear mixture between the 12 muffin cups and place in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.
3. While the muffin tin preheats, combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla in a blender and whiz for 5 seconds to mix.
4. Whisk the flour and salt together in a small bowl and add it to the blender. Cover and blend about 10 seconds to thoroughly combine the ingredients, scraping down the sides if necessary.
5. Once the timer goes off, remove the muffin tin from the oven and immediately pour the batter over the pears, leaving about ¼ inch of room at the top of each muffin cup.Return the tin to the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, undisturbed, or until the popovers have puffed up and are beginning to turn golden brown.
6. Loosen the popovers from the tin and serve immediately. Top each popover with any bits of pear that remain in the tin and drizzle with maple syrup, if desired.