Ingredients:
For the cream cheese filling:
1 8 oz. brick cream cheese, softened at room temperature.
1 cup of sifted confectioner’s sugar
For the batter:
4 large beaten eggs
2 cups of white sugar
1 15-ounce can of 100% pure pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups canola oil
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice mix
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
For the top:
2/3 cup of white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons of chilled salted butter, cut into cubes
INSTRUCTIONS
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar and blend for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Place the filling in a large rectangle of wrap about 1 1/2 inches wide. Wrap the filling in the foil and twist the ends of the foil to seal.
Place in the freezer and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Place the muffin liners in two muffin tins and set aside.
In a blender bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and canola oil until well combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice mix, salt and baking soda.
Add the dry mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix until well combined.
Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425F.
To prepare the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl and blend.
Add the cooled butter and use a pastry cutter or two butter knives to cut the butter into the mixture until it looks like thick crumbs.
Put one tablespoon of dough in each muffin topping.
Cut the cold filling into 24 equal pieces and place them in each cup of muffin. Disperse the rest of the dough evenly between the muffin cups, filling each muffin top almost to the top.
Place one tablespoon of the filling over each cup of muffin and bake for 6 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350F and bake for 15 minutes more.
Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring the muffins to a wire cooling rack to cool almost completely.