Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

These seasonally inspired Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are the perfect morning treat to celebrate fall!

this Recipe

It’s fall, which means it’s pumpkin season – yay! I love the flavor of pumpkin – not just in pies, but also in other desserts like my Rum Pumpkin Tart and Pots de Crème, as well as in my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins. These easy-to-prepare (no food processor or stand mixer required) morning treats are full of the flavors of fall. The muffin batter includes puréed pumpkin combined with the spices commonly used in pumpkin pie – cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. A cube of cream cheese is inserted into the batter of each muffin, providing a fun surprise when eaten!

Actually, the white dot of filling inside reminds of the trashy Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes I used to eat as a kid. I did love those . . . just like I love these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins!

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

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These seasonally inspired Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are the perfect morning treat to celebrate fall!

• Yield: 24 muffins 1x

Ingredients

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• 1 block (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups cooked, puréed pumpkin (one 15 or 16-ounce can) – See Tip
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 3 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch cardamom
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 24 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray or use paper liners (I recommend the liners).
2. Place the cream cheese block between two pieces of wax paper and roll to slightly flatten, so that it’s around 4 inches by 6 inches. Freeze.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the sugar, pumpkin and vegetable oil. Set aside.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, salt and baking soda. Add to the egg mixture all at once and stir just until blended – do not overmix.
5. Fill the muffin tins around 3/4 full (I like to use a large spring-loaded ice cream scoop).
   Remove cream cheese from the freezer and cut into 24 1-inch squares. Push one square into the middle of each muffin. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of chopped pecans over the top of each.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin (not into the cream cheese) comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Note that the cream cheese will be very hot initially.

Notes

High Altitude: Reduce the baking soda by 1/8 teaspoon, increase the vegetable oil by 2 tablespoons and use extra large eggs.

• Author: (From "A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®" by Sally Clayton and Lee Clayton Roper)
• Category: breakfast and brunch, breads, muffins
• Method: baking
• Cuisine: fall