Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: #Thanksgiving Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins #recipe from author @DarylWoodGerber

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

#Thanksgiving Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins #recipe from author @DarylWoodGerber

From Daryl:

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Are you prepared? Still have the turkey to cook? What about those sides? And the gravy? Got veggies? Last minute stop to the store? I hope not. Everyone will be there!

I also hope you have help from family or friends because this is one holiday that requires all hands on deck. Dishes galore.

And did I mention dessert? What do you like to serve for dessert? I like options. Pies, cakes, individual candies. One of my grandsons wants to make specialty cupcakes and have all the kids decorate them. I've purchased the decorations. Will that be chaos or fun?

Whatever you're doing, don't fret. You've got this. I'm sharing an easy muffin below that is right for dessert or breakfast/brunch. If you don't have the ingredients for these delicious muffins (as I said I'm sure you don't want to go to the store again), just know that these are perfectly fine to eat next week and on into the winter months. So yummy.

Have a great holiday. Enjoy whomever you are with.

PS I found this recipe on Sally's Baking Addiction blog. I tweaked it to make them gluten-free and I added a few things. If you want to see the original, follow the link https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/pumpkin-cheesecake-muffins/

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE MUFFINS (GLUTEN-FREE and REGULAR)

Note: I made these slightly differently when it came to layering. They grew really big. I liked them that way.

Topping:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for GF, use ¼ cup tapioca starch and ¼ cup cornstarch)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cupcakes:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (for GF, I used half tapioca starch, half sweet rice flour + 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum)

1 teaspoon baking powder (for GF, use 2 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see note below)

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed (I used light)

2 large eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup canola oil

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

(*On the website, Sally uses less; but comments from fans recommended more filling, so I increased the amounts)

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 egg yolks (about 2 tablespoons egg)

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Sally recommends this because she likes to bake for 5 minutes at high temperature – helps cupcakes rise – then you will REDUCE the temperature to 350 degrees F. (See below)

Line 12 cupcake tins with liners. Spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Make the crumb topping:

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour (or GF combo) and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and mix until crumbs form. Set aside. (Mine turned out to be more of a packed mixture; not crumbs.)

Make the muffin batter:

In a large bowl, toss the flour (or GF mixture), baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together until combined. (If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, Sally recommends a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon allspice.) Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient and stir until just combined Do NOT overmix the batter.

Make the cheesecake filling:

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric handheld (or stand) mixer on medium-high speed until creamy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and sugar. Beat until combined.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of pumpkin batter into the cupcake cups. Layer with about 2 tablespoons spoonful of cheesecake filling, then 2 more tablespoons of cupcake batter (or however much batter is needed to fill the cups all the way to the top). Yes, you will fill the muffin cups to the very top. Some cheesecake filling may poke out of the top or on the sides. Top each evenly with crumb topping (it does not sprinkle, as Sally says in her blog so not sure what I might have done wrong) and press the topping down into the muffin so it sticks.

Bake for 5 minutes 425°F then, keeping the cupcakes in the oven, reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking for another 15-16 minutes. The total time these cupcakes should be in the oven is around 20-21 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool until ready to eat. Cupcakes taste best on the same day, though they may be stored covered tightly at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.

For longer storage, freeze cupcakes for up to 3 months. Wrap really tightly in plastic wrap to keep out all air. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat up in the microwave if desired.