Srawberry Cheesecake Muffins

I was browsing through the blogs the other day. I always love to visit Rosie's as she is a wonderful baker and always has delicious delights to tempt. Do pay her Blog a visit if you haven't been. You are in for a treat I promise. She had a recipe for these muffins. I have never had much success with muffins, cupcakes and the like but when I saw these I just had to try again. I was confident if Rosie had made them she had followed a good recipe. I had everything to hand and off I went. Such a delicious treat and they worked perfectly. I just managed a photograph before they all disappeared..I was on a roll and decided to make another batch but this time replacing the strawberry with lemon. Also delicious. The lemon gave a lovely tang with the sweetness of the filling. You really need to try these. Of course if you don't it doesn't matter but you will never know the heaven you have missed.

With thanks to Rosie


Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins
(Adapted from 101 Cakes & Bakes Goodfood)

Makes 12

Ingredients
350g (12 oz) plain flour
1½ tbsp baking powder
150g (5 oz) caster sugar
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
250ml (9 fl oz) milk
75g (3 oz) butter, melted
For The Filling
175g (6 oz) soft cheese
3 tbsp caster sugar
6 small strawberries, halved

You will need a 12 holed muffin tin lined with 12 paper muffin cases

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F/gas Mark 6.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, add the sugar and salt and mix through with a wooden spoon or whisk then leave aside.

In another bowl beat the eggs and milk together, and then stir in the melted butter. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid ingredients, now gently mix, it is quite normal to have a few lumps remaining in the mixture. Do not over mix or the muffins will not be light and airy. Mix the cream cheese and sugar for the filling together in a small bowl. Half fill the muffin cases with the muffin mixture, and then push half a strawberry into each muffin case. Place a teaspoonful of the sweet cream cheese on top, and then finish by spooning over the remaining muffin mixture to cover and fill each muffin case.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 -20 minutes until well risen and golden on top. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to finish cooling.

To make the lemon version, leave out the strawberry. Finely grate the zest of a lemon and use the juice of half of it. Put about a third of the zest into the cheese mix along with about a teaspoon of juice. Put the rest of the zest and juice into the muffin mix.