Jalapeno Popper Cheese Muffins

I love jalapeno poppers so much so that I’ve made Jalapeno Popper Dip (a MUST), Jalapeno Popper Beef Taquitos an now these Jalepono Popper Muffins! There is just something about the ooey, gooey, cheesy spiciness that can’t be beat. Sometimes I have grandiose visions for recipes but the reality doesn’t live up to my expectations. Those recipes don’t make it onto my blog because YOU deserve the very best. And sometimes I have a vision for a recipe and it far exceeds my expectations. I call that vision Jalapeno Popper Cheese Muffins. More often than not cheese breads and muffins can be both dry and greasy at the same time (not sure how they manage that) while also lacking in cheese flavor so when I set out to create these Jalapeno Popper Cheese Muffins, I turned to the master – Cooks Illustrated Cookbook. I adapted their quick cheese bread method of using milk and sour cream to create a creamy flavor and rich, moist texture with just enough butter to add richness without greasiness. I then added small chunks of sharp cheddar cheese rather than shreds to create muffins speckled with rich, cheesy pockets throughout – because cheese muffins needs bursts of cheese in every bite. For an additional depth of cheesiness, I stirred in shredded Parmesan cheese and topped the muffins with Parmesan to create a bold cheesy crust. And that’s not even the best part. After you’ve made your easy cheese muffin batter, you reserve ¼ cup and mix it with cream cheese and additional jalapenos then layer 1 heaping tablespoon cream cheese between your batter. The cream cheese sets slightly due to being combined with the reserved batter while still remaining soft and melty so you can enjoy its jalapeno popper creaminess cocooned in every cheesy Parmesan crusted muffin bite. Easy moist, rich, bold Jalapeno Popper Cheese Muffins. Arguably some of the most addictively delicious savory muffins you will ever devour.