Sweet Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Muffins

1.Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease it lightly.

2.In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3.In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

4.Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then stir in the vanilla extract.

5.Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk. Start and end with the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.

6.Fold in the chocolate chips gently until evenly distributed throughout the batter.

7.In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

8.Spoon a tablespoon of muffin batter into each muffin cup, followed by a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture, and then top with another tablespoon of muffin batter, ensuring the cream cheese is covered.

9.Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few melted chocolate chips are okay).

10.Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.