Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Topped Chocolate Muffins

Makes: One dozen large muffins Prep time: 25 minutes Bake time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup best quality cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon fresh baking soda

2 teaspoons fresh baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon chocolate extract, (I used Ballard Extracts)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla, ( I used Ballard Extracts )

1 cup whole buttermilk

2 large eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted melted butter

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, ( I used Ghiradelli)

Cheesecake topping

8 ounces room temperature cream cheese

1 large egg at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup semi sweet, dark, or milk chocolate chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place 12 larger cupcake liners in your muffin tins. (The muffins are large, so you don’t want to use a small liner or a smaller pan.)  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa and set aside.  Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl and cool for a minute.  Add the buttermilk, eggs and extracts to the butter and whisk together.  Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk just until combined.  Fold in the cup of chocolate chips.  With your large ice cream scoop, place one scoop of batter in each liner.  Prepare the cheesecake topping.

Cheesecake topping

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, whip the softened cream cheese and sugar until combined.  Add the egg and whip until blended and smooth.

Using a small ice cream scoop or heaping tablespoon, place the cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin cup filled with batter.  Smooth it out with the back of a spoon and evenly sprinkle the other cup of chocolate chips on top. I gently press the chips into the batter so they don’t fall off the top when they puff up.

Place the muffin tin on a baking sheet in case some of the batter spills out.  These are really big, so they will bake up high and  bit over the pan.  I use a convection oven, so my baking time is shorter, but you will need to check these after baking for about 15 minutes.  The cheesecake topping should be done but not brown.  If you touch the top at 15 minutes, and it springs back, they are done.  They will continue to bake in the pan after you take them out of the oven.  When they are cool enough to handle, place them on a baking rack.  Store them in an airtight container for only a few days.