Carrot Cream Cheese Filled Muffins

These muffins toe the line between muffins and cupcakes but because the icing is incorporated before baking, I'm calling them muffins. A friend suggested an Easter themed post and what could be more Easter than carrot cake? Also, I recently got a new camera, a Sony A200 DSLR. I need a macro lens and better lighting but I'm thrilled to be able to manually focus my shots. I also need a new tripod as the mounting bracket on mine is too long to mount the new camera. Reactions will be posted tomorrow.



Ingredients

Muffins

• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp.baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 c. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 c. vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 c. shredded carrots
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
• 1/2 c. raisins that have been soaked for 10 minutes in hot water.

Filling

• 4 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and vegetable oil until lightened. Stir in carrots, walnuts and raisins.
3. In another bowl cream cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
4. Fold dry ingredients into carrot mixture until just mix, do not over-mix. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter then add a teaspoon dollop of cream cheese filling on top of the batter.
5. Bake about 20 minutes at 350 or until a toothpick stuck into the cake part comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.