
Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
Makes: About 45 mini muffins (12 regular)
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
•2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Directions:
1.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.
2.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.
3.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.
4.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.



Put all of the dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt). Yes, there is a bowl there, it’s just glass so you can’t see it.
Stir it all up so it’s evenly mixed.
Put all of the wet ingredients in a second bowl (oil, applesauce, eggs, vanilla).
Whisk until evenly combined.
Add the rest of the ingredients (shredded carrots, walnuts, raisins, coconut) to the wet ingredients and stir it up.
Pour the wet ingredients onto the dry ingredients…
And stir it up. Stir only until everything has moistened and mixed evenly. Over stirring can give the muffins a poor texture.
Fill the muffin tin up to the top of the wells. Bake at 375 degrees (preheated oven) for about 30 minutes.

