Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Muffins

My mom's carrot cake recipe is both simple & delicious. I love to enjoy a slice along with a cup of hot tea. I decided to use the recipe today to make some muffins for next week's breakfast. I didn't want to ice them, but decided instead to sneak a surprise right in the middle - a tablespoon of sweetened cream cheese! They turned out wonderfully moist with just the right amount of sweetness. Perfect for a quick breakfast or mid-morning snack.

Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Muffins
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups self-rising flour
3 cups grated carrots
4 ounces black walnuts*

For the filling...
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 24 muffin cups or use paper liners.

Filling: in a medium bowl beat cream cheese until smooth. Add egg, vanilla and
brown sugar. Beat until combined, then set aside.

Mix together sugar, eggs, oil & vanilla. Add cinnamon & flour. Mix in carrots & nuts.

Place carrot cake batter in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep the cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Cover with about 1 tablespoon of cake batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

*If you do not have black walnuts on hand, use regular walnuts & add 1 teaspoon of black walnut flavoring.