Surprise Muffins

These muffins are great for a snack, or even a special brunch. It has a little surprise inside each one, filled with some cream cheese and your favorite jam. I like using Apricot jam for a light delicate flavor that compliments the cream cheese well.

• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of bran, I used oat bran
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup oil (I used 1/4)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 of a 8 oz package of cream cheese cut into 12 squares*
• apricot jam (or Jam of your choice)

1. Combine all the dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl mix all the wet ingredients.
3. Add the dry ingredients and stir gently til all flour is moisten but still a bit lumpy.
4. Fill greased muffin tins til about 1/3 full.
5. Add the cream cheese, and top with 1 teaspoon of jam (I did more).
6. Top with remaining dough.
7. Bake at a 375 oven for 18-20 minutes.
8. Remember your oven temperature may differ slightly so you want the tops to be golden brown and spring back when gently pressed on top.
9. I have never frozen these because they disappear rather quickly.

*I only had a half a package of cream cheese before I realized it and doubled the muffin recipe, so your chunks of cream cheese will look bigger. I found this amount of cream cheese to be just fine too.