Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (like Starbucks)

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 pinch cardamom (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 5 eggs
• 2 cups sugar and 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups pumpkin
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• chopped pumpkin seeds (optional) or walnuts (optional) or pecans (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350.
• 2 mix cream cheese with one egg and 3 tablespoons of sugar. put the entire mixture on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper and shape it into a long log.
• 3 put it in the freezer while you mix and fill the pans, up to an hour.
• 4 unwrap and cut with a sharp knife so each cream cheese disk equals 1-2 teaspoons. if the cream cheese disks are too big around, cut thick slices and then cut them in half. this lets you push it down into the batter easier.
• 5 mix all ingredients together (except cream cheese and nuts).
• 6 fill muffin tins (greased or paper cups) half full.
• 7 put cream cheese disc in the middle, pressing down.
• 8 sprinkle with 1 tsp chopped nuts.
• 9 bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin part (do not touch the cream cheese!).
• 10 let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely. do not touch the cream cheese until it cools.