CARAMEL CHEESECAKE MUFFINS

Streusel & caramel cream cheese filling

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup ap flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temp
• 2 tablespoons caramel sauce

Muffins

• 1 3/4 cups ap flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 1/2 cup yogurt, non-fat plain
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F/220°C, line a muffin tin with one dozen paper liners. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, leavening agents, salt) in a bowl until no lump persists (do this first so you only dirty one whisk, once!).
2. Streusel: in a food processor, process the ingredients for streusel topping until pea-sized pieces form. You can also do this in a bowl with a pastry cutter, a fork, two knives, or cold fingertips. Keep cold in the refrigerator.
3. Filling: in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the room temperature cream cheese and caramel sauce until well combined. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, cream the butter with sugar until fully combined. Drop in the room temperature eggs one at a time, mix thoroughly after each addition. Mix in the yogurt and vanilla. Make a well in the center of flour mixture, pour in the wet ingredients and gently fold to combine until you don’t see any air pockets.
5. Fill the muffin tin to 3/4 full. Dip your finger in some flour, quickly poke into the center of a puddle of batter and move it around to create more space, repeat until you have 12 wells. Take about 1/2-1 Tbsp of the cream cheese filling and drop into the well, fill all muffins. Sprinkle the streusel on top and blow off the excess, bake at 425°F/220°C for 5 minutes and turn down the heat to 350°F/170°C, bake for another 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake part comes out clean.