pumpkin cream cheese muffins

This is a recipe that I got from my awesome friend Danielle! She rocks! It's for loaves, and they are super awesome that way, but I just made muffins from them and everyone asked for the recipe, so I'm putting it up in muffin form with the few little changes that I made, which is practically nothing! :)

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup organic sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached flour

Pumpkin muffin:

3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 cups organic sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 - 15 oz can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven. Line muffin tins with paper liners(makes 24). Set aside.

Cream Cheese Filling: In a food processor, or with a mixer, process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and process just until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, processing just until incorporated. Do not over process. Stir in the flour. Set aside.

Pumpkin muffins: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Add the sugar and melted butter and whisk until blended. Whisk or stir in the pumpkin, water or milk, and vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until the ingredients are combined. (A few streaks of flour is fine.) Do not over mix as it will make the muffins tough.

Divide the batter in half. Take one half and divide it evenly between the 24 muffins. Put an even amount of the cream cheese filling on each muffin. Top with the remaining half of batter. Bake the muffins 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Remove muffins from tins as soon as you can. Can serve warm, cold, or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or else freeze for later use.

Makes 24 muffins.