Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

BY JO MCCLURE

Muffins: 1 3/4 cups flour 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree...not pumpkin pie filling 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon vanilla

Cream Cheese Swirl: 1 8 ounce block cream cheese at room temperature 1/4 cup sugar 1 egg yolk 2 teaspoons vanilla

Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. In large bowl, mix 1 can pumpkin puree and both sugars. Beat in the eggs, oil and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture until no lumps remain. Fill 12 muffin cups 3/4 full. Beat the cream cheese until smooth and add the sugar, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until well combined. Bake at 375˚ for 18-20 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test. Store in the fridge after they have cooled.

Top each muffin with 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture and swirl into the batter with a toothpick.