RASPBERRY SOUR CREAM MUFFINS

FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
FOR THE MUFFINS:
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
3 ounces Cream Cheese, cut into 16 pieces
1 cup fresh or frozen (dry pack) raspberries, divided use

TO MAKE THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
Combine pecans, brown sugar, flour and butter with a fork until crumbly; set aside.

TO MAKE THE MUFFINS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease or paper-line 16 muffin cups.

Beat eggs in large bowl with electric mixer; gradually add sugar. With mixer running pour in vegetable oil and almond extract, blending until smooth.

In separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, alternating with the sour cream; blend until smooth. Set aside.

Pat each cream cheese piece into a disk the size of a quarter; set aside.

Spoon one generous tablespoon batter into bottom of muffin tins. Divide half of raspberries equally among muffin cups. Top each muffin cup with a cream cheese disk. Divide remaining batter among muffin cups, spooning over the cream cheese. Top with remaining equally-divided raspberries. Sprinkle each muffin with streusel topping.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in tins on cooling rack. Remove from tins to rack to cool completely.

Makes 16 muffins
Source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board