Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients

Muffins:

• 1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour

• 1 tbsp Pumpkin Spice (cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg)

• 1 tsp Baking Powder

• 1 tsp Baking Soda

• 1/2 tsp Salt

• 15 ounces (1 3/4 cups) Pumpkin Puree

• 1/2 cup Sugar

• 2/3 cup Brown Sugar, packed

• 2 Eggs

• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

• 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract

Cream Cheese Topping:

• 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened

• 1/4 cup Sugar

• 1 large Egg

• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease muffin tins.

2. Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Whisk wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar and brown sugar. Mix in eggs, oil and vanilla extract.

4. Slowly whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until there are no lumps. Fill muffin cups evenly about 3/4 full.

5. Make cream cheese topping: In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat the mixture until it is fully combined.

6. Top each muffin with a small spoonful of cream cheese mixture.

7. Place muffins into the preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Cheesy Stuffed Pumpkin

Ingredients

•   1 Small pie pumpkin washed

• ¼ cup Olive Oil 

• 1 Large shallot, chopped

• 1 Apple, peeled and chopped

• ¼ cup Celery, chopped

• 1 tsp Fresh sage

• ½ tsp Dried oregano

• ¾ cup Breadcrumbs

• 1 cup Havarti cubed

• 2 tbsp Romano cheese grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Cut top of pumpkin and scoop out seeds, brush inside of pumpkin with 1 tbsp olive oil and bake pumpkin for 20 minutes.

2. Scoop out baked pumpkin, leaving ½ inch inside the pumpkin. Heat olive oil in a pan. Chop pumpkin and add to the pan. Add shallots, apple, celery and herbs and sauté for 5-6 minutes to soften, then stir in breadcrumbs and Havarti. 

3. Fill pumpkin with cheese mixture. Sprinkle top with Romano cheese and bake for 30 minutes until cheesy and melty!