Rao's Blueberry Cream Cheese Filled Muffins

Best attempt at duplicating the muffins we had at Rao's Bakery in Beaumont Texas. Great flavor -- requires no extra butter on top. The cream cheese keeps them moist and fresh a bit longer than a standard muffin.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 12 Muffins

Ingredients

• For the muffins

• 2 1⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (bleached all purpose flour is fine, but the texture will be slightly more delicate)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1  cup sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2  eggs, beaten
• 1  cup buttermilk
• 4  ounces butter
• 3  tablespoons walnuts or 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1⁄2 cups blueberries

• for the filling

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 2  tablespoons brown sugar, for the topping

Directions

1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature.
2. In a small pan heat the butter over a low heat until melted.
3. Increase heat and swirl gently until butter takes on a slightly brown color.
4. Add oil, stir and allow to cool slightly while the oven's preheating to 425°F.
5. Grease a standard 12 muffin tin, I prefer a medium coat of Crisco.
6. Mix filling ingredients in a small bowl and beat at medium speed (a hand mixer is fine) until well combined and creamy, about 2 minutes.
7. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
8. Add butter milk to cooled butter, stir and add eggs and vanilla, stir to combine.
9. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture, mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are just moist.
10. Don't over mix.
11. Fold in blueberries and add spoon into tin, it will yield 12 muffins, so take your time and divide it evenly.
12. With two teaspoons (like the ones that you use at the dinner table) create a well in the center of a muffin and place a heaping spoonful of cream cheese in that well.
13. Do them one at a time and be sure not to go to the bottom of the muffin.
14. Once again there is enough to do all 12 muffins, so take your time and divide it equally.
15. Lightly sprinkle just a bit of brown sugar over each muffin.
16. Bake for 18-22 minutes, tops will be light brown and a toothpick inserted in the cake part of the muffin will come out clean.
17. Muffins should just be starting to pull away from the sides of the tin.
18. Allow to cool in pan for 20 minutes on a rack.
19. This seems like a long time, but the filling makes these delicate and the extra cooling time allows them to set.
20. Once removed from the pans allow the muffins to cool to room temperature on a rack.