Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

                                                           

Ohhhhhhh - this is a WONDERFUL muffin recipe.

Since I'm already a muffin freak, and a cream cheese nut too, how could I not LOOOVE these great muffins! 
I first tasted them at a church ladies meeting, when my very creative friend, Margie, brought them to share.  After I got home, I scoured the internet for the recipe and was thrilled to find it at Annie's Eats.

(along with 225 comments, I dare say!!)

Look at that cream cheese right there in the middle!!!

And the crunchy topping only adds perfection to this seriously delicious & moist muffin.

I love love love all the spices added - they make this muffin sooo perfectly tasty!

Very 'fall-ish' & 'holiday-ish'!

The first time I made them following the directions to a tee - freezing the cream cheese/powdered sugar combination.

The second time I made them, I just put dallops of the soft cream cheese mixture in between the pumpkin layers of dough. 

Either way is OUTTA SIGHT! good.

Give them a try - they freeze nicely too.  But they weren't 'safe' in the freezer for very long.  They make for a great breakfast and start to your day.

I normally tend to stick to simple, few-ingredient recipes, but trust me on this one, this is SOOO worth the extra time to mix these up. 

 Your family will be so thankful you did!

PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS

Filling:

8 ozs. cream cheese, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

(I reduced that amount when I didn't freeze this mixture)

Muffins:

3 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 Tb. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

(Homemade recipe here)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 large eggs

2 c. sugar

(I reduced to 1-2/3)

2 c. pumpkin puree

1-1/4 c. vegetable oil

(I used 1/2 c. applesauce, 3/4 c. oil)

Topping:

1/2 c. sugar

5 Tb. all purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 Tb. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

To prepare filling: combine cream cheese and powdered sugar in medium bowl; mix well until blended and smooth.  Transfer the mixture to piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1-1/2" in diameter.  Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, reinforce with a piece of foil.  Lay on a plate and transfer to freezer, chilling atleast 2 hour, or until slightly firm.

To make muffins: preheat oven to 350. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil.  Mix on medium-low speed until blended.  With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients, mixing just until blended.

To make topping: combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in small bowl; whisk to blend.  Add butter pieces and cut into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is coarse and crumbly.  Transfer to fridge until ready to use.

To assemble muffins: fill each muffin well with small amount of batter, just enough to cover bottom of the liner (1 - 2 tablespoonsful). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of cream cheese into each muffin well.  Divide remaining batter among muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.  Sprinkle a small amount of topping mixture over each muffin.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. (It's tough to resist, but cream cheese filling gets very hot, so be careful)

Linked to Crazy Sweet Tuesday

Ingredient Spotlight

    Breakfast Ideas Monday

Apple Crisp Pizza

This is such a great recipe.  It's simple, yet elegant and OH SO tasty!

It's simply apple crisp with a crunchy oatmeal topping on a pie crust!

WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE???

I was excited when I found it at Life as a Lofthouse.

I've always been partial to my Simple Apple Crisp recipe, and this goes just one step further, making the simple into an elegant dessert.

Hubby and I enjoyed very large pieces of it at a time, and it didn't take long for the 2 of us to clean that pizza pan!

{Not all at once, mind you!}

I only had a little bit of caramel in the bottle, so I heated it a tad, then wished I had left it cold because it ran into a 'puddle'...which I guess is fine.  I would have liked for it to look more like a 'drizzle'.

Oh well - LIVE AND LEARN, right???

APPLE CRISP PIZZA

Pastry for single crust pie (9-inch)

2/3 c. sugar

3 Tb. all purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 medium gala apples, peeled and diced into 1/4" pieces

(use your favorite baking apple)

TOPPING:

1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/3 c. rolled oats

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

(I like to add a little bit of grated fresh nutmeg too)

1/4 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350. Roll pastry to fit a 12" pizza pan; fold under or flute the edges.  Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in medium bowl.  Add peeled, diced apples and toss. Arrange the apples in a single layer over the pie crust to completely cover it.

Combine the first 5 topping ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle evenly over the apples.

Bake 35 - 40 minutes or until apples are tender.  Remove from oven and immediately drizzle with caramel topping. Cut into pizza slices and serve warm with ice cream.

Yield: 10 - 12 pieces

(or as hubby and I enjoyed...6 pieces!=)

Linked to Sweets for a Saturday
           Crazy Sweet Tuesday
             Ingredient Spotlight - Apples
Weekend Potluck
    GBP Roundup - Apples
Meal Plan Monday

Baked Acorn Squash with Cinnamon Apples

What a wonderful fall dish! 

I was so happy to come across this recipe at my sweet blogging friend Joy @ Simply Bloom {the blog}.

Her photos are always! so inviting and that one sucked me right in.

I'm partial to the richness, smoothness, and taste of butternut squash, but sweeten up acorn squash this way and I am ON IT!

I've probably told you before, but my most favorite dishes are desserts, and running in 2nd place are SIDE DISHES!

I'm wild about side dishes and do believe if I lived by myself, I could live without meat, and eat side dishes to my heart's content.

This is soo tasty - it was the only thing I filled my plate (and tummy) with for dinner the evening I first fixed it.

Do hope you'll try it soon.  It's simple and simply delicious!!!

BAKED ACORN SQUASH WITH CINNAMON APPLES

2 - 3 acorn squash

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

(I used 1/4 c. brown sugar splenda)

1/4 c. butter, melted

1 Tb. all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt 

(I used less)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

(I used 1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice)

2 - 3 lg. apples - cored and chopped

(I didn't peel)

Preheat oven to 350. In small bowl, stir together brown sugar, butter, flour, salt, cinnamon and all spice.

Wash and halve the squash. Clean out the seeds and 'stringy stuff' and arrange in ungreased 9" X 13" baking dish.  Fill the 'holes' with chopped apple, then drizzle the sugar mixture on top. 

(Joy suggests you do that lavishly).

The recipe didn't call for it, but I added about 1/2 c. water, or more, to the pan so it would steam the squash as it bakes.

Cover dish with foil.  Bake 60 - 70 (less time if the squash are small) minutes or until squash is tender.   (Mine were large, and I baked them nearly 1-1/2 hrs.)

This goes beautifully as a side dish or simply as a treat on its own.

I can testify to that thought!  MMMM!

THE END!!!!  *-*

​


Linked to Foodie Friends Friday
           Mop it up Monday
             GBP Roundup - Apples
        Full Plate Thursday
        GBP Roundup - Fall 
Weekend Potluck
Kitchen Thyme
Meal Plan Monday

Homemade Butterfinger Candy Bar Bites

                                                                       

JUST A SWEET LITTLE REMINDER...

THANKSGIVING IS ONLY ONE WEEK AWAY!

Are you ready???  *-*



Oh my Soul! 

This recipe seems to be the 'rage' on the net and in Blogland as of late.

I couldn't wait to try it.

It is just amazing - and all my taste-testing friends and family agree! 

We always like a little chocolate candy with our Thanksgiving brunch and I'm excited to try this out on my kids.

I took some of my first batch to share with my sis-in-loves, who are all great cooks, and they were amazed how it tasted like a real butterfinger!

I shared several pieces at a ladies meeting the next day (from my second batch) and they all thought it tasted like the real thing too.

One dear friend told me she couldn't WAIT to go home and make a batch. 

Another friend of a friend told me they added rice krispies to it and loved it....so feel free to do 'your thing'.

I can't imagine how anyone thinks this stuff up, but I'm so thankful someone did!

Since Halloween was over, I had to scour a couple of Dollar General stores to clean them out of candy corn....on sale even!  I stocked up because I know this will be something we make again for Christmas gift-giving!

(Just this week, I've seen that Walgreen's has MUCH candy corn on sale!)

SOOOO Simple - TWO ingredients!  Can we even imagine??
Well, three, if you count the chocolate you dip them in.

Give it a try....you won't be sorry.

I had read some blog posts about gals not being happy because this candy had a smooth texture. 

Mine didn't, and I think it's better that way.  It has that

'break away' kind of texture that the real candy bar has.

I think it's because I 'accidently' had it in the microwave a tad longer than the original recipe called for, so I have typed it up for you as I made it.

The picture belows gives you an idea what the candy looks like before dipping.

I love that this recipe can be cut down if you want.

The first time I made it I used 2 c. candy corn and 1 c. peanut butter.

HOMEMADE BUTTERFINGER CANDY BAR BITES

3 cups candy corn

1-1/2 cups peanut butter

milk chocolate chips or candy melts, melted

Line 8" X 8" pan with parchment paper (or waxed paper - sprayed).

Place candy corn in microwavable bowl and microwave for 1 minute.   Stir until mostly melted.  Stir and continue heating 10 to 15 second until melted, stirring well. Add peanut butter, return to microwave for 10 - 15 seconds.  Stir until blended, but you don't want it to be smooth.

Pour into prepared pan. Let set up for 1 hour.  Remove from pan; cut into pieces or bars with pizza cutter or sharp knife.  Dip pieces in melted chocolate. (I added a tsp. of crisco to the choc chips to make them smoother)

The texture is crunchier if refrigerated when cooled.

If you are partial to Butterfinger candy bars, as I am....

OH YOU ARE GONNA LOVE THIS!!!!!!!

Chomp, drool, slurp, lick....

Linked to Made it on Monday
         Foodie Friday
              Melt in Your Mouth Monday
         Creative Thursday
GBP Roundup - Peanut Butter

It's time for a Giveaway!!!!

{This giveaway is now closed....winners announced on Friday, Nov. 25}
Thanks for entering....


I'm SOO excited!

SOOO much to all of you for your support and encouragement, especially these past few months.

It means more than words can express. 

YA'LL ROCK!!!!!!

I just shake my head in disbelief when I consider how quickly my Facebook fan numbers have risen in the past few months. 

I'm closing in on 1000 fans and could use your help here!

For weeks, I've considered getting this giveaway going now before the holidays HIT us strong...and have been planning to entice bribe ask you to help me  get over that #1000 hump, but I'm much closer than I would have dreamed already.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS.....YOU CAN PUSH ME OVER THE TOP!!!!

In reality, I only have about 10 more 'likes' to get there.

UN.BE.LIEVABLE!!

No matter what....

I am excited to offer TWO gift packages....

The first pkg. is this wonderful Christmas Cookies cookbook,

along with an adorable plate for YOU to give away, AND...

a cutsie spatula/turner made by Avon just for the holidays.

I'm wishing I had gotten one for myself too!

(Does seeing all that peppermint make you want to break out in singing "Deck the Halls"?)  *-*

The plate is 13" wide...you can put plenty of cookies on there to give away. 

The cookbook has ideas like...

~Baking Cookies with Kids
~Sharing with Friends

~Making Memories

~Cookie Storage Hints

along with many shaped, dropped, and bar cookie recipes.

MMMM!

I made some of the Peppermint Candy Shortbread cookies and they were super!

The second gift package is this cute "Cookie Dough FUN" cookbook, along with a set of 4" X 6" Christmas recipe cards.

These are some of the titles in this little booklet...

~Crazy for Cookie Dough
~Simple Pleasures
~Kids in the Kitchen
~Holiday Treats
~Party Fun

OK - here's how you enter this giveaway...

I'm keeping it simple - please tell me a dish you are making for your Thanksgiving Day meal.
(I dare you to make my mouth water=)

Then for additional comments you can do any or all of the following....please be sure to come back and let me know what you did.

Don't forget to include an email address so I can contact you.

(If it's easier for my non-blogging friends, you can always use the 'anonymous' comment option, but leave your name/email address in the body also)

~"Like"  my Recipes & Recollections Facebook Page
(or let me know if you do already)

~Post this giveaway on your Facebook Page or Blog

~Subscribe to my blog

The giveaway ends on Tuesday, Nov. 22nd at 6 PM - EST.

The winners will be announced the day after Thanksgiving.

This giveaway is for residents of the U.S. only.

(Sorry - I really do appreciate those around the world who are interested in my blog, but this is only for U. S. folks)

LET THE FUN BEGIN....GO!!!