Macheesmo

For the last few weeks I’ve been on a mission to master a particular kind of muffin recipe. Specifically, one that is stuffed with cream cheese. I think I’ve tried about a half dozen different recipes with varying results and levels of success.

My final version, and the version you see before you in THIS VERY POST, is a combination from a variety of sources. But, the two sources that really helped me end up with the texture and taste I was hoping for was this Serious Eats recipe and this Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe. Then I kind of put my own twist on the recipe with a swirl of fruit jam and a crunchy granola streusel topper!

Cream Cheese & Jam Muffins

by Nick

Serves:

12 muffins

Prep Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

1 hr

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Perfect with just enough cream cheese and jam. The muffin is sweet, tangy, and crunchy thanks to granola streusel.

Ingredients

Batter:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup fruit jam

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

Granola Topper:

1 cup granola

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. For granola topper, stir together ingredients and set aside for later.

2) For cream cheese layer, add softened cream cheese and other ingredients to a small bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Set aside for later.

3) To start batter, add softened butter and sugar to a medium bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Then add eggs one at a time and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

4) Add half of the dry ingredients to the creamed butter, followed by the milk, followed by the last of the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

5) Line 12 muffin tins with wrappers or lightly butter the tins. Add exactly 1 tablespoon of muffin batter to the bottom of each muffin. Top with 1 tablespoon cream cheese filling (you might have some left over). Top with 1 teaspoon fruit jam and another tablespoon of muffin batter to cover the filling. If you have any batter left, you can distribute it between the muffins.

6) Top muffins evenly with granola topper.

7) Bake muffins at 375 degrees F. for 20-23 minutes until they are puffed and golden brown around the edges. Let cool before serving. Store leftover muffins in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days.

Cream Cheese & Jam Muffins

Let’s just get this out of the way: This recipe requires a lot of bowls! You need a bowl for the granola topper, a bowl for the cream cheese filling, and two bowls for the batter mix. Maybe designate someone as official bowl washer because you’re the one making delicious muffins.

The granola mixture is pretty straightforward. Melt some butter and stir everything together.

While you could use a stand mixer for these bad boys, a hand mixer just seemed easier to me on this particular day. Make sure your cream cheese is softened and whip it together with the other filling ingredients. It’ll almost look like frosting!

The muffin batter is pretty standard. I cut back a bit on the sugar just because I added some jam in. But basically beat together the butter and sugar until it is creamed nicely. Then mix in the eggs and vanilla.

Whisk together the dry stuff separately and then mix in half of the dry stuff, followed by the milk, followed by the last of the dry stuff.

Batter done!

Careful Filling

Normally, I’m one for eyeballing things, but for these muffins to work, you really need to carefully measure. The ratio is important!

Line your muffin cups with wrappers and then add 1 tablespoon of batter to each. Top that with 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling. Top that with 1 TEASPOON of fruit jam.

Here’s the progression.

Then top that with another tablespoon of batter. If you have any leftover batter, distribute it between all the muffins. There should be plenty of batter to cover the filling.

Then sprinkle each muffin with granola topping!

Bake these beauties at 375 degrees F. for 20-23 minutes until they are slightly puffed and browned around the edges.

Let them cool before serving them. The filling is the perfect ratio, but my favorite part is the crunchy granola streusel topping!

Gotta love these cream cheese and jam muffins.