Shelly's Recipe

STRAWBERRY-CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS

Category: Muffins

2 cups flour
3/4 cup plus 3 tsp sugar, divided
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 tsp unsalted butter, chilled, cut up
1 cup chopped strawberries
3/4 cup plus 2 tsp buttermilk
1 egg
1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, cut into 12 cubes

Heat oven to 400. Grease bottoms of 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners. In medium bowl, stir together flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, baking powder and baking soda. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in strawberries.

In small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg until blended. Gently stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture just until combined. Divide evenly among muffin cups.

Dip cream cheese pieces in 2 tsp of the sugar; place in center of each muffin. Press cream cheese until level with batter. (Do not cover cream cheese with batter.) Sprinkle muffins with remaining 1 tsp sugar.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown and toothpick inserted off-center comes out clean (do not put toothpick in cream cheese). Cool on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in refrigerator. 12 muffins