Berry Cheesecake Muffins

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The crumbly topping is amazing and this batter yields muffins that are SO soft and so flavorful. The creamy surprise in the center makes them extra special. These muffins do great when stored overnight, so whip up a batch on Friday so you can pull them out Saturday morning!
from ourbestbites.com

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Ingredients

  • Streusel Topping
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 graham cracker, crushed to crumbs (a heaping 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter
  • Cheesecake Filling
  • 4 ounces cream cheese (low-fat is fine)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Muffins
  • 1 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon flour, divided
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoons table salt
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen berries (raspberries or blueberries, avoid strawberries)

Preparation

Step 1




Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.

In a small bowl prepare streusel: combine sugar, flour and graham cracker crumbs. Cut butter in small chunks and toss with streusel ingredients. Use a fork, or clean hands, to crumble it together, breaking up the butter into small crumbly pieces. Place streusel mixture in fridge.

Prepare cheesecake filling: Beat all cheesecake ingredients together until smooth. Set aside.

To make muffins, combine 1 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and orange zest in a bowl. Whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over-beat. Place berries in a bowl (do not thaw frozen berries) and sprinkle over remaining 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon sugar. Toss together and then add to muffin mix. Gently stir just until distributed.

Fill muffin cups with batter. Place cheesecake mixture in a zip-top bag and snip on the corner. Gently squeeze about 2 teaspoons of filling directly into the batter. It’s okay if it’s visible on the top. Evenly divide streusel topping on muffins. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the muffin part comes out with just loose crumbs attached. Let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from muffin tin and place on cooling rack. Let cool to room temperature. Yields 12 muffins.

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