Tri-County News

Say cheese for cream cheese!


In Northern Minnesota it snowed today. Fall didn’t just fall, it crashed! Sometimes the season sneaks up on us … a pretty leaf here or there. A tree full of yellow leaves that wasn’t there yesterday. There might be a cold freeze in the morning but a toasty afternoon followed soon. Not this year. Lots of rain followed by snow just a few days later. I really hate to see this as Fall is my favorite season. Fall means, cinnamon candles, pots of soup, decorated pumpkins and best of all muffins.

I have found making muffins with another favorite ingredient, cream cheese, you get a moist, delicious combination. These can be made in large batches and frozen for up to a month. Cream cheese is one of those wonderful foods that absorbs the flavors of those ingredients around it. A little like Tofu but with a better consistency. A favorite evening snack is cream cheese covered with my mom’s jalepeno raspberry jam and pita chips. Creamy, crunchy, sweet and spicy all in one bite!

Last weekend we were able to spend some time with our youngest nephew and niece. They absolutely love chips and cream cheese ranch dip. My nephew  would take the tiniest of chips and overload it with dip up to his fingers and say “Cheese” when I pointed my camera at him. I sat on the floor and pretty soon he was quietly climbing onto my lap. He whispered in my ear, ”Who are you?” I said “Aunt Sandy, who are you?” He giggled and wouldn’t answer me so I said “Are you Spiderman?” ”Yes, I am Spiderman.” He answered with a huge smile. Who knew? Spiderman loves cream cheese. Peace, Sandy

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”
        – George Eliot

Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Topping:

1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Muffins:

2 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup blueberries, wild or regular sized, fresh or frozen but defrosted and drained

Filling:

4 ounces cream cheese room      temperature

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

If you’re using frozen berries, make sure to let them defrost and drain well before adding them to the muffins.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with paper baking cups.

Make the topping by stirring together all topping ingredients with a fork in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

Using a hand mixer, mix eggs with electric mixer about 1-2 minutes until thick and frothy. Mix in sugar and oil, beat until creamy. Mix vanilla, vinegar, baking soda, and salt. Mix in sour cream then stir in flour using a wooden spoon. (Batter may be slightly lumpy.) Stir in blueberries.

Make the cream cheese filling: stir (or use a hand mixer) together cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

Fill muffin cups with about 2 tablespoons of muffin batter. Add about 1-2 teaspoons of cream cheese to the center of each muffin, then top with another 1 tablespoon of batter. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top of the muffins.

Bake for 15-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of a muffin. Cool 5 minutes in pan then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons brown sugar

4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose  flour

5 tablespoons white sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons chopped pecans

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin

1/3 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.

To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.

For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.

Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Apple Cream Cheese Crumb Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped apples

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Cream Cheese Center:

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

Crumb Topping:

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, melted

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. In a medium sized bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat together butter, sugar, and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples and walnuts. Gradually add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add 1 tablespoon into the bottom of the muffin liners.

To make the cream cheese mixture: Beat together cream cheese, sugar and egg yolk until smooth. Put about 1 tablespoon on top of the bottom of the dough in the liners. Top the cheesecake layer with the rest of the dough and fill to the top.

To make the crumb topping: Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter to a small bowl and mix. Add the flour until it starts to become crumbs. Top the muffins with the crumb mixture and lightly press into the top.

Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes clean and the tops are lightly brown. Let them sit for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

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