Fig Muffins with Honey & Lemon |Cooking With Amanda

Muffins are my lifeline. As a parent, and especially as a single parent, having a lifeline in the kitchen is essential for survival. Muffins, in their many forms, are always my backup plan.

No time for breakfast before school? We pull muffins out of the freezer. Need a lunch on the go? Muffins are easy to make and easy to pack. Need to feed a crowd? Muffins go a long way, and mini muffins go even further. They make the best snacks, desserts, meals. Muffins, I sing your praises.

These particular Stuffed Lemon Fig Muffins are a delightful twist on more ordinary muffin recipes. Stuffing a muffin with cheese, especially cheese that emerges from the oven warm and melty and creamy, is one of the better ideas I've ever had.

The hint of lemon and honey with sweet figs is a delicious flavor combination that will please the sophisticated foodie, yet still invoke satisfied smiles from the kids. Muffins, I find, are almost always a winner at the family table!

I like to make a big batch of these muffins on the weekend and enjoy them for breakfast and snacks all week long. When you wrap them individually for the freezer, you can freeze them for up to a month or refrigerate them for two days.

There's nothing like the relief that comes from remembering there's a nice batch of muffins ready to go, just stashed away in the freezer. Even better if you have a crowd coming over for brunch, or an impromptu coffee klatch after the school run. Not that that happens often.. but you know - like the Girl Scouts say, "Always be prepared"!

Muffins make lots of appearances here on Food Fanatic - from Lemon Ricotta Muffins full of sunshine to luscious lemon poppyseed muffins, and even gluten free cranberry orange muffins, the crew around here has got you covered.

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Fig Muffins Recipe

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Ingredients

3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lemon zest, freshly grated
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
2 cups white whole wheat flour, or spelt flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup buttermilk, nonfat
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups dried figs, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin tin, or use muffin cup liners.
In a small bowl, combine cheese, lemon, honey, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until creamy and smooth.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, oil, and brown sugar. Beat until smooth. Making a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour egg mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix. Gently fold in the figs.
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup just less than halfway full. Add a heaping teaspoon of the reserved cheese filling to the center of each muffin. Top each muffin with the remaining batter, making sure to completely cover the cheese filling. Each muffin cup should be filled to the top of the muffin tin, but not overflowing.
Bake the muffins until the edges begin to brown and the overall color turns golden. The tops of the muffins will spring back when touched when the muffins are ready, about 13 to 15 minutes. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Adapted from Eating Well magazine, 2010

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