Ahhhhh, it’s fall. That means, it’s time to start baking with copious amounts of brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin, nutmeg, apples, and cloves. There is nothing like the smell of your house when you’re doing fall baking.
So this week I decided to try a new pumpkin muffin recipe.
Aren’t they pretty? And it was a really simple recipe. Just basic ingredients that I alread had in my pantry resulted in a yummy, tender, moist muffin.
But wait. What is that poking out of that muffin on the right? Is it…? Can it be…?
Why yes, it’s a cream cheese filling. And I have to tell you, the method for doing this cream cheese filling is brilliant. You mix the cream cheese with the powdered sugar, roll it into a log in plastic wrap, and freeze it. Then, when it’s time to fill, slice the log into 24 pieces (or 12 if you half the recipe, of course). Fill the muffin tin about halfway with batter, press in a cream cheese “nugget,” then put more batter on top. No trying to cut cones into cooked muffins and discarding any of the yummy goodness. Quick, easy, and perfect results.
See for yourself.
So there you have it. Simple, cream cheese filled pumpkin muffins. Make them. You won’t regret it! I promise!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
(adapted from Annie’s Eats)
Yield: 24 muffins (but it’s very easily half-able!)
Ingredients:
For the muffins:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. and 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (the original recipe called for nutmeg, but I was out, so I upped the pumpkin pie spice–this reflects that)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
For the streusel topping:
½ cup sugar
¼ cup and 1 tsp. flour
4 tbsp. butter, cubed
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
For the paper liners:
If you like the more “rustic” look of the muffins pictured, just cut 5-inch squares of parchment paper. Spray the muffin tin with vegetable oil, and then press the parchment paper in, tightly pressing the paper against the edges so it lays flat.
Directions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until smooth. Form into a log on plastic wrap, making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze until slightly hardened, 1-2 hours.
To make the muffins, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together with a pastry blender or two forks (or your hands!) until crumbly.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well halfway with batter.
Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice into 24 equal slices. Place a slice in each muffin well. Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups, on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.
