Mango and Cream Muffins

Today's recipe is for muffins! I love muffins, especially warm from the oven - they remind me of winters in my grandma's house. Muffins make especially nice gift baskets for someone who has had a not so great day.

Mango and Cream Muffins

1 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 package instant vanilla pudding
2 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mango (fresh or frozen), diced
1/2 cup dried mango, chopped

Heat oven to 350•F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside. You may also grease the inside of 18 muffin cups if you don't want to use liners.

Cream together cream cheese and 1/4 cup of sugar and set aside.

Blend flour, 1 cup sugar, instant pudding, baking powder and salt together in large bowl. Be sure to blend thoroughly to distribute the baking powder.

Whisk together water, eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together with wooden spoon. Combine until just mixed together. The batter will be lumpy. Stir in fresh and dried mango.

Fill muffin tins about 1/2 way. Put 1-2 teaspoons of cream cheese mixture on top of muffin batter. Top with another dollop of batter so that the muffin cups are about 3/4 full. Bake at 350•F for 25-30 minutes. The top of the muffin should spring back when pressed.

This recipe makes about 1 1/2 dozen muffins.

*If you can't get or don't like mango you could easily substitue fresh/frozen peaches and dried apricots for the mango.

I will post a picture when my camera batteries have finished re-charging! LOL.