Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

The change of seasons means a change in lots of things.....the view out my window, my garden, my wardrobe, the holidays and decorations, and the things I choose to cook.  I don't know why I feel I have to wait until Fall to bake with pumpkin, but I do.  These muffins are a wonderful reason to be grateful it's Fall.

 

 Yield: 24 muffins

Ingredients:


For the filling:


8 oz. cream cheese, softened


1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the muffins:


3 cups 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 cups sugar


2 cups pumpkin puree


1¼ cups vegetable oil

For the topping:


½ cup sugar


5 tbsp. flour


1½ tsp. ground cinnamon


4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:


To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ 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.

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 well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons).  Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces.  Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well.  Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.  Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.  (It may be hard to resist immediate consumption, but the cream cheese filling gets very hot!)