Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

These are SO good I had to share them, but also need to give credit where credit is due....The recipe can be found at http://www.bakedperfection.com/search/label/Muffin. Here's the recipe with my notes in parentheses:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
adapted from Annie's Eats

Yield: 24 muffins (mine made more like 28)

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

3 cups flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 eggs

1 ¼ cups vegetable oil (I used half extra virgin olive oil and half canola)

2 cups sugar

2 cups pumpkin puree (I think Libby's is what most stores carry in a can)

For the filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used neufchatel a.k.a. 1/3 less fat cream cheese)

1 cup powdered sugar

(I also like a little vanilla in it)

For the streusel topping:

½ cup sugar

¼ cup and 1 tsp. flour

4 tbsp. butter, cubed

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until smooth. Form into a log on plastic wrap or foil, making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze until slightly hardened, 1-2 hours. (I found that even after letting freeze for 2 hours, it was still not hard, not sure if I'll go to all the trouble of making the log next time, maybe I'll just scoop it with a spoon.)

To make the muffins, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin puree.Mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.

To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two muffin pans with paper liners.To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well halfway with batter.Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice into 24 equal slices. Place a slice in each muffin well. Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups, on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter.Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving (if you can wait that long).