Yummy Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Muffins

This recipe is a specialty of Second Creek Farm Bed and Breakfast in Owensville, Mo., along the Missouri Wine Trail, via Country Living magazine. This recipe makes about 24 muffins.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 24
• Yields: 24 yummy muffins

Ingredients

• 8  ounces cream cheese
• 3  eggs
• 2 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 2 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 3  tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1⁄4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin
• 1⁄3 cup  vegetable oil
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat two 12-cup standard muffin tins with oil and set aside.
2. Mix the cream cheese, 1 egg, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Mix 5 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 cup flour, pecans, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside.
4. Combine the remaining sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining cinnamon in a large bowl.
5. Lightly beat the remaining eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla together in a medium bowl.
6. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour the pumpkin mixture into the well, and mix with a fork just until moistened.
7. Divide the batter into two halves. Evenly divide one half of the batter among the muffin cups. Place two teaspoonfuls of cream cheese filling in the center of each cup and fill with the remaining half of batter.
8. Sprinkle some of the pecan mixture over the top of each muffin and bake until golden and a tester, inserted into the muffin center, comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
9. Note:.
10. These are great warm!