Pumpkin Muffins: Preheat your oven to 350 Place your oven rack in the middle of your oven. Butter or spray each muffin cup with a non-stick vegetable spray

Cream Cheese Filling: In your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until creamy and smooth. Set aside while you make the muffin batter.

Fill the muffin cups evenly (about 2/3 full) with the batter using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Make a well in the center of the batter of each muffin and then spoon a few tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the well.

Place in the oven and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes, or until the cream cheese filling has set and the pumpkin feels springy to the touch (a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin part of the muffin will come out clean.) Place on a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 12 reg