Gingerbread Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

Streusel Topped Gingerbread Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

I love gingerbread! It smells like the holidays when it is baking and it tastes sweet, spicy, and rich.  I knew I wanted to create a muffin with a cream cheese filling in the middle but it was more challenging than I anticipated.  The filling was cooking right into the muffin instead of making a distinct center.  After a bit of research, I came across a method that worked very well.  The filling was placed in the freezer for 1 hour. When the semi frozen filling was scooped into the muffin tin, it really held its shape during baking.  The second challenge was getting enough ginger flavor.  In addition to ground ginger, I used 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger.  It really upped the flavor.  The streusel adds a buttery, sweet topping.

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yield: ~12 muffins prep time: ~1  hour   difficulty: easy

Ingredients:

• 6 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 lb butter, melted
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup hot water

Streusel

1/4 cup butter (browned)

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

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Procedure:

Combine the powdered sugar, cream cheese , egg and vanilla.  Place in freezer for at least 1 hour

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the molasses, vanilla, and egg and mix to combine. Mix in the baking soda, spices, and salt. Add in the flour and hot water and mix to combine.

For the streusel, cook the butter until it is a deep chestnut color.  Cool slightly.  Mix into flout/sugar until it is moist and crumbly.

Place about 2 Tbsp batter into the bottom of muffin tins. Place a rounded tablespoon of the frozen sweetened cream cheese on top of the batter. Cover with another 2 Tbsp batter and  sprinkle streusel over the top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie- Updated

Delicious Pumpkin Pie 

This past weekend, it was cold and cloudy.  I wanted the house to smell like cinnamon and pumpkin so I made this delicious pie!  I played around with the traditional recipe by adding mascarpone cheese, egg yolks, and extra cinnamon and ginger.  Too bad you weren't here for dessert--it was great!

The best part of pie is the crust.  This one is made with all butter and it rolls out like a dream.  The secret to flaky crust is the pockets of butter that remain when you roll out the dough.  Fit the rolled out dough into a 9" pie plate.  Brush the inside of crust with a slightly beaten egg white.  It will keep the crust from getting soggy.

Mix the Mascarpone, sugar, salt until incorporated.  Add the pumpkin puree and spices. In a separate bowl, mix the egg, egg
 yolks, heavy cream, melted butter and vanilla.  Add to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until the ingredients are smooth. Pour into the pie crust and sprinkle with nutmeg.  Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.  Cover crust if it gets too brown.  Let the pie cool completely before cutting.  Serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.




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yield: ~8-10 servings. prep time: ~1  hour 30 minutes  difficulty: easy

Ingredients Pie Filling:
2 cups canned pumpkin
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, 2 yolks
1 cup 1/2 &1/2
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Procedure:

• Whip Mascarpone until light and fluffy
• Mix in sugar, salt, and pumpkin and spices
• In a separate bowl, mix egg and egg yolk
• Add the 1/2 & 1/2, melted butter and vanilla
• Mix the egg/cream mixture with pumpkin/cheese until very smooth
• Pour into pie crust
• Sprinkle top with nutmeg
• Bake at 375F for 45-50 minutes
• Cover the crust if it gets too dark

Ingredients Pie Crust:
Makes 2 generous 9" crusts--you will only need one for this recipe.  Crust may be frozen between sheets of parchment once rolled out.
1 cup unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup ice water or more if too dry

Procedure: 

• Cut the butter into very small cubes
• Mix butter and flour and salt until it is in pea sized clumps ( I cut the butter in with a pastry cutter.  You can also use two butter knives)
• Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture just begins to form a ball
• Gently knead a few times to bring the dough together
• Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour
• Roll out on a silicone mat with a small amount of flour