Pralines & Cream Pecan-Caramel Muffins

Oooohhhh, yum.  I love these and Dustin and David seemed to enjoy them quite a bit too.  I don't know what else to say but yum!  This is in my cookbook A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman.  I have really been craving these and need to get myself to the store to pick up some cream cheese!

Pecan Streusel Topping:

1 c. finely chopped pecans

2 tbsp. white sugar

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

3 tbsp. butterscotch or caramel chips, optional

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Cream Cheese Topping:

6 oz. cream cheese

1 large egg

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Muffin Batter:

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla 

1 c. buttermilk or plain yogurt

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 c. very finely chopped pecans

12 squirts of butterscotch or caramel sundae topping, optional

Preheat oven to 375F.  Arrange oven rack to middle position.  Line a 12-cup large muffin pan with paper liners and generously spray liners with nonstick cooking spray.  For streusel topping, in a food processor, grind nuts, both sugars and chips, if desired, to make a fine meal.  Add butter and pulse to blend.  Put mixture into a mixing bowl.  (This is a fine, gravelly streusel.)  Without cleaning food processor bowl, blend Cream Cheese topping ingredients well and then spoon out into another bowl.  For muffin batter, blend butter with both sugars in food processor until well blended; then add egg and vanilla and mix well.  Add buttermilk, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nuts and blend well, making sure no unblended sugar or butter is stuck in bottom of bowl.  Scoop some batter into each muffin cup, filling about half full.  Squirt on some sundae topping.  Spoon on some Cream Cheese Topping and then carefully add streusel.  Bake 30-35 minutes until muffins seem firm to the tough when gently pressed with fingertips.  Let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.