Coco-Raspberry Muffins With Cream Cheese Filling

from "the verdant life" - http://www.theverdantlife.com/2010/12/cocoa-raspberry-resolution-muffins-with.html

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 8 muffins

Ingredients

• Muffins

• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2  tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2  teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2  tablespoons canola oil
• 2  teaspoons canola oil
• 1  tablespoon applesauce
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  almond extract
• 2⁄3 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)

• Cream Cheese Filling

• 2  ounces cream cheese
• 3  tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly spray muffin tin with canola oil (or use foil liners).
2. In a small bowl, beat or whisk cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Place in the fridge while you prepare your muffin batter.
3. In a glass measuring cup, stir apple cider vinegar into almond milk and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the flour mixture and add oil, applesauce, vanilla and almond extracts, and almond milk mixture. Stir with a fork until well combined. Fold in raspberries carefully.
5. Fill 8 muffin cups with approximately 2 Tbsp of batter. Spoon about 1 Tbsp of cream cheese filling into the center of the cup, pressing down slightly so the muffin batter surrounds the edges. Top with another 2 Tbsp of muffin batter, covering most of the cream cheese filling.
6. Bake 25-27 minutes. Cool in the muffin tins for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.