Consideration was provided by PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
Good morning, folks! Can you believe Thanksgiving is around the corner?! Yikes!
They say Thanksgiving is the busiest traveling holiday of the year and like many others, I too, have experienced the stress that comes along with this holiday commotion. As mentioned in this post, my family has traveled to and from New York and Delaware for the holidays. Regardless of which home we’ve stayed in, it has always been a madhouse, moreso for Thanksgiving than Christmas for the simple reason that everyone is centered in the kitchen DYING to know what’s cookin’! That’s where all the action is, and there’s just never enough space.
This is where I come in. I have it easiest.
Actually, let’s rewind that last comment, because you know there are always a few guests who happily come in with the largest appetites but empty hands. We won’t go there – [whispers] but I’m sure we can agree they are the ones who have it easiest. Am I right, or am I right?
I can only imagine I have it much easier when compared to the rest of the family. They’re more cooks than bakers, and fighting over the burners in a hot kitchen is not necessarily what I look forward to. That’s why I make my share the night before. [smiles]
Philadelphia Cream Cheese always has a major role in my creations this time of year. From cream pies to cheesecakes and from frostings to glaze, its versatility is incomparable. This year, I decided to do something I’ve never done before, monkey bread. I’m not a huge fan of its name but am definitely a huge fan of its taste!
I decided to put several new spins on the traditional monkey bread commonly seen as a bundt cake. For starters, I made them small by transforming the “cake” into the size of a muffin. I added pumpkin caramel sauce to give an extra pop of seasonal flavor. Lastly – and most importantly, for the perfect surprise and finish – I stuffed a cube of Philadelphia Cream Cheese into each piece of biscuit, which gave a nice, soft, creamy surprise when bitten into, and drizzled each muffin with a cream-cheese glaze!
It’s cinnamon-sugar, pumpkin-caramel, and cream-cheese flavors all in one and has Thanksgiving dessert written all over it. This is one I can’t wait to make again!
.
Pumpkin Monkey Bread Muffins with Cream Cheese
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10 muffins 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
MUFFINS
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 (16.3-oz.) cans Pillsbury refrigerated biscuits
- 4 oz. PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
PUMPKIN CARAMEL SAUCE
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup pure pumpkin
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
GLAZE
- 4 oz. PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 to 4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Insert a paper baking cup into each muffin well; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves; set aside.
- Cut sliced biscuits in half. Cut PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese into ½-inch cubes. Insert 1 cube of cream cheese into the center of each biscuit dough. Using clean and dry fingertips, close the ends of the biscuit with a twist and a pinch to seal the ends together; reshape into a ball.
- Dip to coat each ball into the spice mixture, and place 3 balls into each muffin cup; set aside.
- In a 1-quart saucepan over low-medium heat, melt butter, pumpkin and brown sugar together, mixing well until smooth and just combined, about 5 minutes.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of pumpkin caramel sauce over each muffin.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the outside of muffins appear crisp and have browned. Allow muffins to cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, using an electric mixer on medium setting, beat remaining cream cheese until smooth. Switch the electric mixer to a low setting and add powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk; continue to mix until well combined. Add an additional tablespoon of milk if a thinner consistency is desired. Drizzle glaze over muffins. ENJOY!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Muffins
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese filling, monkey bread, monkey bread muffins, pumpkin caramel glaze
Thanks to Philadelphia Cream Cheese for allowing me to partner with them to come up with some fun and delicious recipes! I had a blast. Do you have any favorite holiday recipes using Philadelphia Cream Cheese? I’d love to hear your favorites in the comments below. For some additional inspiration, click here.
More Pumpkin Please
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