Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

This is a new favorite at our house.  They are absolutely delicious and perfect for the fall!  They are soft, flavorful, and delectable. It has a pumpkin base with a yummy cheesecake center and is topped with a cinnamon-sugar topping that all combines for an amazing flavor.  A note: make sure you make the filling ahead of time because it needs to freeze for a couple hours before putting in the muffins.  These are also excellent the next day!

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

Muffins:

3 c. flour

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground nutmeg

1 t. ground cloves

1 T. plus 1 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

2 c. pumpkin puree

1¼ c. vegetable oil

Topping:

½ c. sugar

5 T. flour

1½ t. ground cinnamon

4 T. cold, cut into pieces

1.  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.

2.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  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 cup with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (about 2 T. or a medium scoop size).  Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces.  Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each muffin cup.  Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups (about 2 T. in each muffin cup or the size of a medium scoop), placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.  Sprinkle a small amount ( about 1-2 t.) of the topping mixture over each of the muffin cups.

5.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.  (It may be hard to resist eating immediately, but the cream cheese filling gets very hot so please be careful!)

Source:  Annie's Eats

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