Bran-date Muffins

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cups raisin bran cereal
• 1/4 cup oats (old-fashioned)
• 1/2 cup chopped dried dates

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400°.
• 2 grease a muffin tin for 12 muffins.
• 3 prepare filling--mix together the filling ingredients in a small bowl.
• 4 prepare batter--sift together in a medium bowl the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice.
• 5 in another larger bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, oil, and vanilla.
• 6 combine the brown sugar with the dry mixture, then stir in the cereal, oats, and dates.
• 7 pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and mix by hand with just enough strokes to combine.
• 8 spoon out half the batter into the bottom of each muffin cup.
• 9 top each with 1-2 teaspoons of the cream cheese filling.
• 10 spoon the remaining batter equally over the muffins, covering the cream cheese completely.
• 11 bake the muffins for about 20 minutes, until brown and a pick comes out clean.
• 12 cool the muffins briefly, the turn out a baking rack.
• 13 they can be eaten immediately or later at room temperature.
• 14 wrapped tightly, the muffins remain tasty for up to 2 days.