Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with a Pumpkin Seed Streusel
Over the past couple of decades, the muffin has evolved into a sumptuous breakfast item in a number of fruity and sweet varieties. Gone are the days of dense bran muffins. Muffins have progressed into baked delicacies that are tasty but not necessarily healthy. The rule of thumb is that anything that looks like a muffin can be eaten in the morning with a clear conscience.
According to one of my favorite cook books ("David Wood Food Book") there are three simple steps to creating a perfect muffin: 1. Keep the wet ingredients separate from the dry until the last minute; 2. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly to distribute the baking powder and soda evenly; and 3. Mix the muffins minimally once the wet and dry have been combined. Basically, many recipes use a technique borrowed from cake making – creaming the sugar and butter together first, adding the egg then flour. Hhhm…maybe that explains the decadent muffins we’ve grown to love.
However, there are definitely healthy alternatives that are light, tasty and more appropriate for your morning meal. The recipe below for pumpkin cream cheese muffins is definitely on the healthy side. Pumpkin is rich in Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.
(Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-produc...). The addition of light cream cheese cuts down on calories and very little on taste. Using canola oil instead of butter and toasted pumpkins seeds on top, create a wonderful breakfast without the guilt.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
*
Cream cheese filling:
1 (8 ounce) package light cream cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Streusel Topping (this step can be left out for a lower fat muffin, just top with toasted seeds):
4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
Muffin:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin
1/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill18 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, and set aside.
For topping mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans in a medium bowl. Add butter and cut with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
Next in a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth
Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about ½ full. Then add one tablespoon of cream cheese mixture, right in middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching paper liner.
Sprinkle on streusel topping. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.
Comment
© 2013 Created by Whole Living.
You need to be a member of Whole Living Community to add comments!
Join Whole Living Community