Fig Muffins

It has been a crazy month for me. I packed my bags and moved all the way across the country to Boston! But before I did that, I had my friend over for a farewell brunch. These cheesecake-stuffed strusel-ized fig muffins were definitely the star of the meal.

Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
2 cups 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 packed dark or light brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups chopped figs (dried or frozen)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 stick butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
2. Thoroughly combine cream cheese, honey, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Whisk flour (see Measuring Tip), baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Lightly beat eggs and egg white in a medium bowl; add brown sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and whisk until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in buttermilk and oil until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in figs and chunks of cream cheese mixture.
4. Combine flour, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a bowl using a fork. (Because is a muffin really a muffin without streusel?)
5. Scoop batter into muffin tins and sprinkle streusel over the top.
6. Bake the muffins until the edges start to brown and the tops spring back when gently pressed, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Based on this recipe, originally seen here.

Enjoy!