Wednesday, June 4, 2014

cream cheese muffins | cream cheese muffins with chocolate chunks

I have been making various muffins from my current favourite muffin book, "The Ultimate Muffin Book" by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough and since I am still trying to use up the cream cheese that is still sitting in the fridge, I thought this muffin would be a good one to try.
I really love the muffins from this book. Rarely do I get to tell people that if they like muffins even a tad sweet, they will need to add more sugar because thus far, none of the muffins I have made from this book has been at all sweet! And seeing that I really am not into sweet things, this works out just fine for me!

To make the base recipe for these muffins (I consider this the base recipe because you can add so many things to this - from dried fruit to fresh fruit to chocolate to nuts... it is a perfect base recipe), I mixed cream cheese and sugar using the paddle attachment of my mixer. You want a mixture that is smooth and light.
In a large bowl, I whisked together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
This was set aside.

Into the cream cheese mixture, I added the eggs, one at a time and making sure to beat well after each addition.
Then I added the rest of the ingredients - butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Finally, I added the milk.
Don't be alarmed if the mixture looked like it had curdled.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix using a wooden spoon until everything just comes together. Do not over mix!
My son, Aden came into the kitchen at this stage and announced he was going to "help Mommy". Since it was just batter at the end of the day, I gave him the ice cream scoop to transfer the batter into the lined muffin trays.
You would need to fill the liners until they are 3/4 full if you want muffins with domes.

The muffins were baked, and cooled.
And eaten.

Aden even made some with chocolate chunks.
"They're MINE, Mommy!" he said.
Fair enough too, I thought.

RECIPE
Cream Cheese Muffins (Makes 12-16)
Adapted from "The Ultimate Muffin Book" by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

Ingredients:
2 cups (190g) plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
4 ounces (113.3g) cream cheese
1/2 cup (112.5g) caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 stick (113.4g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup (158ml) milk (whole, low-fat or nonfat) - I used low-fat

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until uniform. Set aside.
3. Place cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes, or until smooth and light. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in butter, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly pour in the milk. Beat 1 minute or until creamy and smooth (my mixture curdled, but it is okay).
4. Stir this into the prepared flour mixture with a wooden spoon until moistened.
5. Fill in the liners until three-quarters full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean.
6. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before transferring the muffins onto the rack to cool completely.
NOTE: The muffins can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperate for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

I am submitting this recipe for Cook-Your-Books hosted by Kitchen Flavours.

I am also linking this post to Little Thumbs Up, hosted by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, Doreen of My Favourite D.I.Y., and Jozelyn of Spice Up My Kitchen.



9 comments:

  1. What a brilliant idea to use ice-cream scoop to place batter into the mould!
    The little helper looks so "professional" as well ^_^
    Thanks for linking to LTU!

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    1. Jozelyn, hahhaa, he is being trained so he can make his own food in the future! :)

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  2. Thanks for sharing the step by step guide and recipe! Gonna try baking for the first time with this. =)

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  3. Hi, may I ask, do i just half the ingredients to make 6-8 muffins?
    Thanks.

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  4. Hi Diana,

    I usually reduce the amount of sugar in most recipes... You said that the muffins from the recipes in this book are not too sweet and I clearly know why you like this books and these muffins.

    Got to go to book depository now *wink*

    Zoe

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    Replies
    1. Hi ZOe, you'd love the book. I am baking my way through it haha. :)

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