Tasty Tuesday

I mentioned yesterday that I made some delectable muffins over the weekend. I can't keep the recipe to myself so I thought I'd share it today. After eating an awesome Starbuck's Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin last weekend I decided to come home and recreate the nasty goodness in my kitchen. Luckily there were lots of other people with the same idea who already made a similar recipe and posted it online/ So I borrowed their recipes, tweaked two minor details and came up with the recipe below. Enjoy

Almost Like Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

3 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
4 tsp pumpkin spice
pinch of cardamon (optional)
2 1/2 tsp vanilla ( I use Mexican vanilla because the taste is unbeatable but anyone will do)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cu vegetable oil
8 oz. package cream cheese
chopped nuts or seeds (walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds) (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Beat together cream cheese, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/4 cup sugar. Place mixture on foil or plastic wrap and roll using the wrap into a log. Place log in the freezer while making the muffin batter for up to an hour.

Mix together the rest of the ingredients except nuts or seeds. Fill greased or lined muffin cups half way. Cut cream cheese log into equal sized pieces (enough so that you have one per muffin). Press piece of cream cheese filling into center of each muffin. Sprinkle muffins with nuts or seeds (optional). Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out of muffin (not cream cheese) clean. Let cool in pans for 5 minute, remove and cool completely on baking rack. Do not touch cream cheese! It is very hot!
Makes 24 muffins