Pumpkin & Cream Cheese Muffins Recipe

These are like Pumpkin Pie and Cheesecake all in one, and are definitely the most popular muffins in our house.

Ingredients

Filling.

• 225 grams (4 ounces) Cream Cheese, softened.
• 68 grams (1/2 cup) Powdered Sugar. This is rather sweet, so reduce it if you'd like.
• 7.5 ml (1 1/2 tsp) Vanilla Flavoring (Essence or Extract).

Batter.

• 188 grams (1 1/2 cups) All-purpose Flour.
• 201 grams (1 cup) Granulated Sugar.
• 2.85 grams (1/2 tsp) Salt.
• 2.40 grams (1/2 tsp) Baking Soda.
• 3.96 grams (1 1/2 tsp) Cinnamon Powder. This combination of spices is equivalent to 6.55 grams (3 1/2 tsp) of "Pumpkin Spice".
• 1.65 grams (3/4 tsp) Clove Powder. Alternatively, use Allspice.
• 0.50 grams (1/4 tsp) Ginger Powder.
• 1.78 grams (3/4 tsp) Nutmeg Powder.
• 225 grams (1 cup) Pumpkin Puree.
• 150 ml (10 tbsp) OliveOil.pn I use Canola Oil.
• 100 grams (2 whole) Eggs, lightly beaten.
• 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) Vanilla Flavoring (Essence or Extract).

Topping.

• 68 grams (1/2 cup) All-purpose Flour.
• 42 grams (1/3 cup) Powdered Sugar.
• 27 grams (1/4 cup) Nuts (Pecans, Walnuts, Cashews, etc), chopped.
• 1.32 grams (1/2 tsp) Cinnamon Powder.
• 42.60 grams (3 tbsp) Unsalted Butter, melted.

Preparation

1. Make the filling by mixing together the Cream Cheese, Powdered Sugar, and Vanilla.
2. Roll out the Cream Cheese mixture into a strip about 30 cm (12 inches) long. Of course if you are making a large batch, make the strip wider.
3. Chill the Cream Cheese mixture until stiff again, about 2 hours.
4. Make the Topping by combining Flour, Sugar, Nuts, Cinnamon, and melted Butter. Set aside.
5. After the Cream Cheese mixture has chilled, whisk together in one bowl the dry ingredients for the Batter (Flour, Salt, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger, and Nutmeg).
6. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients fo rthe Batter (Eggs, Oil, and Pumpkin, and Vanilla).
7. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
8. Cut the hardened Cream Cheese mixture into 12 pieces.
9. Line your muffin pan with muffin cups; I prefer paper rather than foil.
10. Mix together the wet and dry Batter ingredients until just combined.
11. Scoop 1/4 cup of Batter into each muffin cup. This can be done handily with an ice cream scoop.
12. Push one piece of the Cream Cheese mixture into each muffin cup. Reshape each piece with your fingers as required to make it fit.
13. Sprinkle some Topping mixture onto each muffin cup.
14. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
15. Cool the muffin pan for about 5 minutes. You can then remove the muffin cups and continue cooling them on a wire rack.

Storage

References