Strawberry Cream Dream Muffins

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup (about) white chocolate chips

Muffin Batter

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbsp. butter, melted but cooled
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, chopped into 1/4 inch dice
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/8 cup pureed fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini-muffin tins with paper muffin cups.

To make filling, whip the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add 1 egg and vanilla extract, beating only until combined. Set aside.

To make muffin batter, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, vegetable oil, milk, strawberries, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir strawberry mixture into flour mixture, mixing only until combined.

Fill muffin cups 1/3 full with batter. Spoon in about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese filling. Drop 3 white chocolate chips into each muffin cup. Top with more muffin batter until cups are 3/4 full.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (see note) until edges of mini-muffins are lightly browned. Cool on racks to room temperature before frosting.

For frosting, whip cream cheese until smooth. Add strawberry puree, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract; blend until smooth. Frost muffins. Refrigerate to set frosting. Remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before serving.

Note: For regular-sized muffins, bake 30 to 35 minutes.

By Irishwitch from Aurora, CO