Caramel Maccihato Cream Cheese Muffins

recipe from Peabody
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp instant espresso powder
1/3 cup Dulce de Leche Drinking Chocolate (see note)
½ cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt


Caramel Cream Cheese Filling
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 TBSP caramel sauce (store bought or homemade)
¼  cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 TBSP all-purpose flour


Preheat oven to 375F.

Grease either a jumbo (makes 6) or regular (makes 12) muffin tin.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk, but do not boil. Add the drinking chocolate and the powdered espresso. Whisk and set aside. Don’t worry if not all of the drinking chocolate pieces dissolve.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.

Add the vanilla extract and espresso milk mixture, and beat for an additional minutes.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter mixture in the mixing bowl into the large bowl with the flour mixture.

Fold the mixture together just until combined. (do not over mix)

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each one about 2/3 of the way full.

Using a piping bag with large tip, fill the bag with cream cheese mixture. Place tip into the middle of the muffin and fill until you see the cream cheese on top. Repeat with all of the muffins.

Bake for 16-18 minutes (22-25 for the larger ones like I made). Insert a knife or wooden skewer to make sure they are done. Be sure to not insert the knife or skewer where the cream cheese is, that will give you a false reading of whether the muffin is done or not.

Let cool and drizzle with caramel.


Caramel Cream Cheese Filling
If using stand mixer, clean bowl. If using electric hand beaters, just get a new bowl. Beat the cream cheese and caramel together on medium-high for about 2 minutes. Until it is nice and smooth. Add sugar, egg, and flour and beat an additional 2 minutes