Pumpkin Cream Cheese-Filled Muffins (a must make!)

 

 

 

NOTES:

• These are so worth it!! A friend (thanks Emily!) brought these over along with dinner after having my second baby last fall and I have been wanting to make them since!
• The recipe makes 24 regular size muffins but if you're up to it, double the recipe and make enough to freeze. They are great thawed and then reheated just for 10 seconds. Keep them around for the holidays and special mornings....they are so good!
• Recipe from Annie's Eats
• For muffins at high altitude, I have been successful following the recipe exactly but baking at 10-15 degrees hotter and removing from the oven 5-15 minutes sooner.

INGREDIENTS

 

For the filling:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 c. powdered sugar

For the muffins:

• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 4 large eggs
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 c. pumpkin puree
• 1¼ c. vegetable oil

For the topping:

•  ½ c. sugar
• 5 tbsp flour
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare filling: combine cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours. The other option, as read in the reviews of the recipe, is to fill a baker's decorating bag with a regular round tip (or use a ziplock bag then cut the bottom corner off) with the cream cheese mixture...I think this would be much less time consuming than the freezing method.
2. Make muffins: preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda and whisk to blend.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
4. Make topping: combine the sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.
5. To assemble muffins: fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter (like 1-2 tbsp). Slice the log of cream cheese into 24 equal pieces and place a slice/chunk into each muffin well (or squeeze about 1 1/2 tbsp from your baker's bag or ziplock bag into each muffin well). Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are just golden.Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.