Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Buns, Part II

Read Part I.

The Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast buns, both large and small. (They look like they're getting ready to face-off, don't they? "RUMBLE IN THE KITCHEN!")

I suspected that these “buns” would be more like muffins (that is, more cakey and less bready) and, as it turns out, I was right: they’re basically muffins. Delicious, tempting, wonderful muffins, and definately not buns.

The dough was much stickier than I expected, which made it difficult to A) place into lined muffin tins and B) swirl in raspberry preserves. (In a nutshell, it was a lot easier to make the dough than to prep it for baking.)

I doubled the recipe (below) and used standard muffin cups so instead of 9 buns, I got 24 with leftover batter (which I used to make 5 larger muffins). I also increased the vanilla and used Bonne Maman preserves, which I love. (I almost made them with a friend’s homemade strawberry jam, but I was in too much of a raspberry mood. Still, strawberry, blueberry, currant or even peach preserves would work well here. Just make sure they’re of good quality.)

Another issue I ran into: raspberry preserve overflow. At the last minute, I decided to double-line the muffin tins with paper liners – and I’m lucky I did. Several of the muffins would have been raspberry-glued to the pan but with the extra liner, I was able to lift the muffins out intact, leaving the outer liner stuck behind.

Next time, I’ll make larger muffins (unless doing a bake sale) because, just look at them -- they're gorgeous. I'll also use disposable foil muffin cups placed on a parchment lined baking sheet or disposable aluminum tray. Not only will they be easy to take out of the oven, but clean up will be a snap. I also might try placing a dollop of preserve in the middle of the muffin (place a bit of batter in the tin, top with preserve, and then top with more batter) instead of swirling.

Issues aside, this is a fabulous recipe. The muffin bottoms are delicate and tender, while the tops have a gentle crunch. The flavor is sweet (but not overly so) and comforting, with nice hits of butter, vanilla, and of course, raspberry.

According to the site, this is the Magnolia Bakery’s most popular breakfast item. After tasting them, it’s not a surprise -- they’re a must bake.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Buns

1-3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
Confectioners’ sugar (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease and lightly flour (or use muffin liners) 12 standard muffin cups.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and sugar until smooth in a large bowl, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs and beat well. Add the dry ingredients in two parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Drop 3 small dollops (about a teaspoonful each) of raspberry preserves onto the top of each bun and, using the tip of a sharp knife, swirl the preserves into the batter, forming a decorative pattern. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the bun comes out clean.

Allow the buns to cool for about 30 minutes before dusting with confectioners’ sugar and serving.

Grade: A+

UPDATE: the Raspberry Cream Cheese muffins sold out first at the fundraiser. Whee!!!
Overall, the bake sale raised $170.04 to benefit Happy Tails.

Tags: baking, cooking, temperature, Magnolia Bakery, recipe, muffins, raspberry