pumpkin cream cheese muffins.

My friends are driving in from Rochester today and came to me with requests for baked goods. Fall means pumpkin. Pumpkin means pumpkin muffins (with cream cheese in the middle what what). I'll marry a big fat pumpkin someday. My love is out of this world.

Here's the recipe:

Filling --

• 1 - 8 oz. block of cream cheese
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Topping --

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Muffin--

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 15 oz can of pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Filling: Beat the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla, and blend to combine. Place the mixture in a bowl and put in the freezer until batter is ready.

For the Pecan Streusel: Combine flour, sugar, pecans, butter, and cinnamon. Set aside.

For the Muffins:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin/cupcake cups. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, lightly beat the pumpkin, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and spices) into the wet mixture until just combined.
4. Remove the cream cheese from the freezer.
5. Evenly divide half of the batter among the muffin cups. Place about a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each cupcake. Fill with the remaining batter, completely covering the cream cheese.
6. Sprinkle some of the pecan streusel on top of each muffin.
7. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Besides pumpkin muffins, I woke up this morning to my apartment being a complete mess. Homegirl had to do some cleaning. My roommate and I blasted some La Bouche (I suggest this baby) and did work. La Bouche should always be played while cleaning, eating, sleeping, LIVING. It makes me want to rent a pair of roller skates and go wild on the streets of Boston. Speaking of that, it's time to go walk up to this park on the hill I live on and just lay in the sun. Today will be a good day (I didn't even have to use my AK - Warren G).   

first post!

Well, hey. I've decided to make yet another blog that I hope to stick to this time! This blog will mainly just contain a whole bunch of my interests and of course mucho baking (since it's my favorite past time).

First post? Music.

This. This is Warpaint and this song courses through my veins in the best of ways. I play it every night before I go to bed and I'm going to say it's safe to assume that my sleep has been significantly improved! The video is also beautiful. Bouta buy myself a white outfit, light some fireworks, and dance by a bonfire. LOVE. IT.