Blueberry Pear Cardamom Muffins

1. Roughly chop pears and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add blueberries, a squirt of lemon juice and sugar. Place in the refrigerator to soften.
2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
3. Open about 4 to 5 cardamom pods with a knife and scrape out the tiny black seeds.
4. Grind the seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle until coarsely ground but not powdery, yielding about 1/4 teaspoon and set aside (fresh cardamom is really fun to work with but you can substitute pre-ground seeds instead).
5. Sift the white whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and spices together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
6. Next, beat egg whites until light and frothy, about 30 seconds on medium-high speed.
7. Remove the pears from the refrigerator. Add sour cream, oil, and mix until combined.
8. Using a wooden spoon, fold in the dry and wet ingredients to the egg whites. Place heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into prepared muffin pans and place in the oven.
9. Bake about seven minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another seven minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.