Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
Ingredients:
For the filling:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbls flour
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
For the muffins:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbls vegetable oil
For the topping:
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp. flour
- 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Directions:
- To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese, egg, flour and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Set aside.
- To make the 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; whisk to blend. 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.
- To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; 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.
- To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin about 2/3 full with batter. Add a dollop of filling on top. (I would say I used about a tablespoon of batter and a heaping teaspoon of filling. They were pretty full going into the oven.) Sprinkle with topping. Bake or 14 minutes. Cool. Eat. Smile.