Starbucks fall Line Up

I have recently (this morning) realized that I am more excited about the fall line up at Starbucks than I am of the holiday line up. Ask me again in three months, and my answer might change. J The pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin cream cheese muffins arrived at our Starbucks today. Woo Hoo!!!!!! I thought that you might want to know. I was also inspired to try to find a great recipe for a starbucks-like muffin.

Here is one that sounds good, although I am going to mix some sweetener into the cream cheese.

Almost-Like-Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese MuffinsRecipe

by Sheila at musings of a mommy.blogspot.com

**BIG PUMPKIN CAN (29 oz) VERSION***

4 ½ cups flour

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1 ½ tsp nutmeg

1 ½ tsp ground cloves

5-6 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Generous pinch of cardamom (optional)

1 ½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp soda

6 eggs

3 cups sugar

3 cups cooked or canned pumpkin (29 oz can)

2 cups vegetable oil

8 oz package cream cheese

Chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans) (optional) * or toast some pumpkin seeds- called pepinos when toasted- just like Starbucks!

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients together except cream cheese and nuts. Fill muffin tins (greased or paper cups) half full. Put 1-2 tsp cream cheese in the middle, pressing down. Sprinkle with 1 tsp chopped nuts. Bake at 350 for 20-25* minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin part (do not touch the cream cheese!). Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely. Do not touch the cream cheese until it cools, as it is very very hot. Makes 24 regular size muffins with cream cheese and 24 mini muffins* without cream cheese.*The mini muffins are usually done in 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven and if you bake everything all at once. Check with a toothpick and remove as soon as they are done in the middle.

I saw another online recipe that instructs you to roll the cream cheese into a log in wax paper and freeze it so that you can cut perfect slices to place in the middle of your muffin. Mmmmmmm...........