Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

If you are anything like me, you probably frequent Starbucks or other coffee shops.  A few years ago I discovered my love for all things Pumpkin.  Pumpkin Spice Latte's, Pumpkin Scones and these delicious Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffins.  I found the recipe (although I don't remember where) and it looked easy enough.  I have not made it in two years or so but it was a hit this year with the RA's!

Muffin:

3 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten free pantry all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Nutmeg

1 teaspoon Ground Cloves

4 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 eggs

2 cups Sugar

2 cups Pumpkin (canned or homemade)

1 1/4 cups Vegetable Oil

Cream Cheese:

8 oz. Cream Cheese

6 (or so) Tablespoons of Icing Sugar (or Powdered Sugar)

Dash of Vanilla

2 Tablespoons of Butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350

2. Mix all of the "Muffin" ingredients and fill muffin tins (either greased or with paper cups)

3. Using a mixer, mix the "Cream Cheese" ingredients.  Use powdered sugar to taste...more will make it taste like icing, less like regular cream cheese.  You can also just cut up small cubes of cream cheese and drop them in.  Also delicious.

4.  I used an icing bag to "pipe" the cream cheese into the muffin but you can just drop it by teaspoonful's (using two spoons) into the muffins and press it down into the batter with your finger.

5.  Optional: sprinkle with chopped nuts or pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

6.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Makes 24 muffins.