Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

1 cup pumpkin
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/4cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

Filling:
1 8-oz. package of cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached flour
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl. Set aside while making muffin mix. Works easier if you refrigerate while preparing muffin batter. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper baking cups.

Beat pumpkin, brown sugar, milk, oil, butter and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients, except walnuts, just until flour is moistened. Fold in walnuts.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Fill a piping bag with the cream cheese mixture, and using a wide tip, push the piping tip into the muffin batter. Gently squeeze the cream cheese mixture out of the piping bag. Then lift the piping bag out and repeat for all 24 muffins. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Immediately remove from pan.

AUTHOR: Mai