I've thought long and hard about the perfect recipe to start this blog with. Better start on a good note right? I want this recipe to bring you back for all the other recipes to come, & I am pretty sure I did a good job; just don't let the long name scare you away. Since we are so close to Thanksgiving I can't help but crave pumpkin & even though Thanksgiving is only less than a week away, I had to make my pre-appetizer pumpkin muffin snack to get me ready for the big day.
Fresh from the oven, one bite into this muffin gives you a nice, crusty top, soft, fluffy muffin, & ooey gooey center. The aroma from the spices fills your house. You definitely won't be needing to use a scented candle the day that you bake these. More good news is, this muffin is only 145 calories, so you calorie counters out there (aka me & My Fitness Pal friends) won't completely wreck your diet eating one of these. You can further "healthify" these muffins using splenda or whatnot (I personally don't go that far...some things [sugar] I can't give up), but I used unsweetened applesauce to replace the oil, & they are perfectly moist still.
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Ready for the recipe? Okay, here it is (oh, & no reference needed, this recipe is ala Amber):
Spiced Pumpkin 'n' Cream Cheese Streusel Topped Muffins (Yield: 16 small muffins)
*Make your items in the order I have them, having your mise en place ready (French for: everything in it's place) will help you when you are ready to assemble the muffins--
Cream Cheese Filing:
4 oz Neufchatel Cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese) COLD (straight from fridge)
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
Using a hand blender, cream these 3 ingredients until well blended (no lumps). Put in the refrigerator to keep cold.
Streusel Topping:
1 Tbsp room temp/softened (not melted) butter
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp rolled oats
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
Put all ingredients into a bowl. Mix with a fork or pastry blender until crumbs come together. I usually rub the mixture between my hands to make it pretty fine.
Muffin Batter:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
In a mixer, cream your sugars & eggs. Add applesauce & pumpkin, then blend. In a bowl combine all your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder & soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, & salt) & gradually add to wet mixture. You might have some small lumps, but that is ok. Once everything is incorporated it's time to assemble your muffin.
1. Fill muffin tins with paper cups.
2. Using a #50 scoop (or you can eyeball it) spoon one scoop pumpkin muffin batter into every cup. (should be about 1/4 full)
3. Put 1/2 Tbsp of cream cheese mixture on the top-center of the pumpkin batter.
4. Spoon two more scoops of pumpkin batter over the cream cheese mixture. (should be 3/4 full with everything in there)
5. Sprinkle all the tops with streusel & bake at 375*F for 20-25 min. Your muffin should spring back when touched. Remove from oven & enjoy warm. Be careful though, the cream cheese center might be hot.
I've thought long and hard about the perfect recipe to start this blog with. Better start on a good note right? I want this recipe to bring you back for all the other recipes to come, & I am pretty sure I did a good job; just don't let the long name scare you away. Since we are so close to Thanksgiving I can't help but crave pumpkin & even though Thanksgiving is only less than a week away, I had to make my pre-appetizer pumpkin muffin snack to get me ready for the big day.
Fresh from the oven, one bite into this muffin gives you a nice, crusty top, soft, fluffy muffin, & ooey gooey center. The aroma from the spices fills your house. You definitely won't be needing to use a scented candle the day that you bake these. More good news is, this muffin is only 145 calories, so you calorie counters out there (aka me & My Fitness Pal friends) won't completely wreck your diet eating one of these. You can further "healthify" these muffins using splenda or whatnot (I personally don't go that far...some things [sugar] I can't give up), but I used unsweetened applesauce to replace the oil, & they are perfectly moist still.
Pin It
Ready for the recipe? Okay, here it is (oh, & no reference needed, this recipe is ala Amber):
Spiced Pumpkin 'n' Cream Cheese Streusel Topped Muffins (Yield: 16 small muffins)
*Make your items in the order I have them, having your mise en place ready (French for: everything in it's place) will help you when you are ready to assemble the muffins--
Cream Cheese Filing:
4 oz Neufchatel Cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese) COLD (straight from fridge)
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
Using a hand blender, cream these 3 ingredients until well blended (no lumps). Put in the refrigerator to keep cold.
Streusel Topping:
1 Tbsp room temp/softened (not melted) butter
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp rolled oats
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
Put all ingredients into a bowl. Mix with a fork or pastry blender until crumbs come together. I usually rub the mixture between my hands to make it pretty fine.
Muffin Batter:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
In a mixer, cream your sugars & eggs. Add applesauce & pumpkin, then blend. In a bowl combine all your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder & soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, & salt) & gradually add to wet mixture. You might have some small lumps, but that is ok. Once everything is incorporated it's time to assemble your muffin.
1. Fill muffin tins with paper cups.
2. Using a #50 scoop (or you can eyeball it) spoon one scoop pumpkin muffin batter into every cup. (should be about 1/4 full)
3. Put 1/2 Tbsp of cream cheese mixture on the top-center of the pumpkin batter.
4. Spoon two more scoops of pumpkin batter over the cream cheese mixture. (should be 3/4 full with everything in there)
5. Sprinkle all the tops with streusel & bake at 375*F for 20-25 min. Your muffin should spring back when touched. Remove from oven & enjoy warm. Be careful though, the cream cheese center might be hot.
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