Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Many years ago, in a time when computers read a device called a "floppy disk,"  I typed out a bunch of recipes from a book the title of which I cannot remember.  I made some of these recipes, and they were good.   Two were very good.  An oatmeal fruit bread that has become a Christmas Eve tradition and strawberry cream cheese muffins using frozen strawberries.

Of course, I did not think of the fact that once my parents replaced their old desktop computer, none of us would have a floppy disk drive anymore.  So the Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffin recipe has been lost.  I had some frozen strawberries though, and all I could think of doing with them was making these muffins.  I decided to try to recreate it myself. 

I started with a standard muffin recipe and added nutmeg--which I remember being an important part of the flavor.  I added some vanilla yogurt, too, because I like the flavor and the lessened fat.

The base recipe I used was from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.  Here are my alterations:

Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (less if using freshly ground)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk (I used light original soy)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons vanilla greek yogurt (I used Yoplait 100 calorie vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 frozen whole strawberries
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease or line twelve muffin tins. 

In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, milk, cooking oil, yogurt, and vanilla. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until just combined.  If you overmix, the muffins will be tough.

Fill the muffin tins about 1/3 of the way.  I just dolloped a bit in the bottom. 

Add a frozen strawberry, top down, to each tin.

Mine were obviously a little freezer burned, but everything in my freezer is a little freezer burned.  It didn't change the taste.  However, smaller strawberries are better.  If they are too big (as mine were), they don't get covered up as well when they bake and the cream cheese falls over.

Cover with the remaining batter.

They don't have to be perfect.  When they bake, it will even out a little. 


Top with a slice of cream cheese.

Bake about 20 minutes, or until browned. 

The cream cheese shifted as they baked, so they aren't as pretty as I remember.  The strawberries showed through as well.  However, they smelled so good when they were baking that I couldn't resist them for long after I took them out of the oven.  I ended up eating one while it was still hot, and I burned the top of my mouth.  It was worth it though.