Pumpkin Muffins With Cream Cheese Filling

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2/3 cup pecan halves
• 6 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature (not the whipped or reduced fat variety)
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Recipe

• 1 to prepare the muffin tin use 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, aluminum foil or paper cupcake liners; or nonstick vegetable spray and set aside.
• 2 preheat the oven to 350f with a rack in the center of the oven.
• 3 place the cream cheese in a small bowl and add the maple syrup.
• 4 use a fork to blend them together until smooth.
• 5 set aside.
• 6 place a mesh sieve over a medium mixing bowl and add the flour, baking powder, salt ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon.
• 7 shake the contents into a bowl and set aside.
• 8 place the eggs and light brown and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl.
• 9 with the mixer on high speed, beat the eggs and sugars together until they are thickened and light, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl from time to time as you work.
• 10 the mixture should be thick enough to fall back into the bowl in a thick ribbon when the beaters are shut off and raised.
• 11 beat in the pumpkin puree on low speed.
• 12 with the mixer still on low speed, pour in half of the oil, then add half the flour mixture.
• 13 repeat with the remaining oil and flour mixture until there are no streaks of flour remaining.
• 14 scrape down sides of the bowl as you work.
• 15 beat in the milk until just combined.
• 16 divide the batter amoung the muffin tin holes.
• 17 if you are baking regular size muffins, place 1/2 tbsp cream cheese mixture on each portion of batter then top with pecan halves.
• 18 press down lightly on the cream cheese and nuts.
• 19 for jumbo muffins, place 1 tbsp of cream cheese mixture on each portion of batter, then top each with 3 or 4 pecan halves.
• 20 bake regular muffins for 20 to 22 minutes, and jumbo muffins for 30 to 35 minutes until the muffins are golden brown and have risen nicely; a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean.
• 21 remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
• 22 transfer them carefully to a wire rack and cool.
• 23 the muffins can be stored in a reclosable gallon-size plastic bag at room temperature for 24 hours.
• 24 they can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
• 25 wrap individual muffins in plastic wrap, then place them on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 3 hours.
• 26 when they are completely frozen, place each on in an individual recloseable sandwich-size bag.
• 27 lable the bag and note the date with a waterproof marker.
• 28 remove the muffins from the freezer the night before and defrost on the kitchen counter at room temperature to be eaten the next morning.