Cream-Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins

I recently fell in L.O.V.E with the Pumpkin Muffins at Starbucks {easy on the eyes & tummy...not so much on the waistline}. Anyways, I found this recipe online & gave it a try! These bad boys turned out DELISH..I literally had to stash one away for Greg to try on Friday and I made them on Thursday night! Needless to say, they went fast with my family!

Ingredients {makes 24...I had to make 2 batches of 12}
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 pinch cardamom (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups pumpkin
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• chopped pumpkin seeds (optional) or walnuts (optional) or pecans (optional)


Directions
-Preheat oven to 350.
-Put the entire brick of cream cheese on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper and shape it into a long log.
-Put it in the freezer while you mix and fill the pans, up to an hour.
-Unwrap and cut with a sharp knife so each cream cheese disk equals 1-2 teaspoons. If the cream cheese disks are too big around, cut thick slices and then cut them in half. This lets you push it down into the batter easier.
-Mix all ingredients together (except cream cheese and nuts).
-Fill muffin tins (greased or paper cups) half full.
-Put cream cheese disc in the middle, pressing down.
-Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin part (do not touch the cream cheese!).
Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely. Do not touch the cream cheese until it cools.



Sidenotes: I love cream cheese anything, but not everyone does! I made a batch without the cream cheese middle for my brother & sis-in-law and they were equally as great! Since I do love the cream cheese filling, next time I make these I'm thinking about rolling the cream cheese in powerded suger before slicing. It was a bit "tart" with just cream cheese...but maybe that was just me. :)
Enjoy!