Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

I know you're probably all tired of pumpkin recipes since the holiday season, but I need to post this recipe here. I made it back in November, but I will definitely make them again sometime! They were DELICIOUS!

Hopefully some of you will remember seeing this recipe and give it a try next fall. Or, there's no rule against having pumpkin things in other seasons! Go for it!

I first found this recipe at Baked Perfection, but she found it at Annie's Eats. I think I ended up looking at both versions of the recipe when I made them. Here's the link to the recipe at Annie's Eats: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins. The direct link to the recipe at Baked Perfection doesn't seem to be working, but you can find it under her pumpkin label.


Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients:
Muffins:
3 c. flour
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. ground cloves
1 T. + 1 t. pumpkin pie spice*
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
4 eggs
1 1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 c. sugar
2 c. pumpkin puree

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar

Streusel Topping:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. + 1 t. flour
4 T. butter, cubed
1 1/2 t. cinnamon

*I googled a replacement for pumpkin pie spice since I don't actually have it. It's just a mixture of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.



Directions:
Prepare filling by mixing together cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer and whip until smooth. Form a log with the filling on top of foil or plastic wrap. Make sure the diameter is small enough that it will fit inside your muffin cups. Wrap up log tightly and freeze for 1-2 hours.**

Next, prepare the muffin batter by combining the eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin with an electric mixer. Add the dry ingredients (original recipe has you combine the dry ingredients separately): flour, spices, salt, and baking soda. Mix on a low speed until just combined. Set aside.

Then, prepare the streusel topping by combining all the ingredients together with either a pastry cutter, two forks, or two butter knives.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper wrappers. Fill each wrapper halfway with the pumpkin batter. Remove cream cheese log from the freezer and cut into 24 equal slices. Place a slice in each muffin well. Fill the muffin cups with the rest of the batter. Top with streusel topping. The muffin cups will be pretty full. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

**I wasn't patient enough to let the cream cheese log freeze this long. It's harder to handle when it isn't all the way frozen, but it works. It's messy, though.

These were a big hit at Paul's office. I think I ate like four of them right away. Oops. ;)