Valentines Day is Coming....

It's been a busy week and now all of a sudden it's Friday and the weekend is upon us. I swear the days just evaporate! It's going to be a quick post today, but I do have something yummy to share with you! Valentines Day is just around the corner and in my house that means break out the chocolate (not that it's ever far away...). So here's a quick and delicious muffin recipe for you ~

Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

1 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 Tblsp. white sugar

1 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
3 Tblsp. cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
optional - almond extract and chocolate chips

Prepare muffin pan by lining with muffin papers or spray with Pam cooking spray.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and 2 Tblsp. sugar until light and fluffy. Set aside. ( **I like to add 1/2 tsp. almond extract to the cream cheese but that's up to you!)

In mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, bp and salt. Make a well in center of dry ingds. Combine milk, oil and egg. Add all at once to dry ingds., stirring just until moistened. (At this point I like to throw in a good sized handful of chocolate chips - but again - it's up to you! )
Spoon about 2 Tblsp. of batter into each muffin cup. Top with a dob of cream cheese mixture and then cover with remaining chocolate batter. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes. Let cool and dust with icing sugar (powdered sugar) if desired. Makes one dozen.

Peace,
Linda

"All you need is love - but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." ~ Charles Schulz