Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins Revamped

Muffin Batter

1. Preheat oven to 335°F or 340°F, depending on your oven quirks. Line muffin trays with paper liners; set aside.
2. Sift together 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, oat flour, baking powder, and salt. Important to combine dry ingredients thoroughly; this ensures even rise without pockets of baking powder.
3. Toss diced strawberries with 2 tablespoons flour. Coating stops berries from sinking and prevents blueish batter tinge from frozen (use fresh if possible). Add lemon zest here for a bright hit.
4. In mixing bowl, whisk melted butter with coconut sugar till fully mixed. Coconut sugar adds subtle molasses flavor, richer than plain white sugar.
5. Add milk, egg, and vanilla; blend well but avoid aeration which breaks crumb balance.
6. Gradually fold dry ingredients in using a spatula, barely mixing. Small lumps remain okay. Overworking gluten leads to dense muffins.
7. Finally fold in strawberries carefully by hand; keep batter spotty with bits of berry but no smeared pink. Batter will be thick and not perfectly smooth.

Cheesecake Filling

1. Beat cream cheese and Greek yogurt till no lumps remain — don’t overmix or introduce too much air. Smooth texture is key.
2. Add egg and vanilla; mix briefly just to combine.
3. Incorporate sugar and flour; beat for about 2 minutes until filling thickens slightly, holds together but still spreadable.

Streusel Topping

1. Using a box grater, cold butter grated into a medium bowl provides uneven, chunky texture to streusel.
2. Work in brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and salt with fingertips or two knives cut-in method until sandy and clumpy.
3. Stash in fridge if assembling later to keep butter cold, which equals crunch after baking.

Assembly and Baking

1. Spoon a heaping tablespoon muffin batter into each liner — try judging by eye, not exact scoops; batter density matters.
2. Add slightly less than 1 tablespoon cheesecake filling — if it peaks, push down gently. Spread filling but avoid mingling too much with batter to keep layers distinct.
3. Top with more muffin batter, filling cups about two-thirds full. Too full? Muffins crack or spill over, too little — dry crumb. Find balance.
4. Sprinkle streusel evenly, press lightly so it adheres; too heavy — it’ll slide off when baking, too light and it won’t provide that audible crunch.
5. Bake 27 to 30 minutes. Look for edges turning golden, tops springy but not wet. Watch color; cookie sheet lining affects heat distribution.
6. If puffed tops are jiggly after 25 minutes, add 3-5 more minutes. Rotate pan halfway if your oven runs uneven.
7. Cool in tin 10 minutes then transfer to wire rack. Residual heat finishes baking and avoids soggy bottoms.

Notes and Substitutions

1. Greek yogurt adds tang and moistness that cream cheese alone lacks. Oat flour lightens crumb and adds subtle nuttiness; can replace with more all-purpose if unavailable.
2. Coconut sugar swap: brown sugar or raw cane sugar, but watch flavor shifts.
3. Milk can be swapped with buttermilk or almond milk; adjust baking powder to baking soda ratio slightly if using acidic liquids.
4. Butter grated cold is non-negotiable for streusel texture. No solid chunks means no crunch.
5. Frozen berries introduce unwanted blueish batter and moisture; fresh preferred. Pat dry frozen berries if desperate.
6. Check muffins visually not by timer. Muffin tops should yield a little under finger press, bounce back immediately, with browned edges and a toasted scent.
7. Overmixing? Tunnels or tough crumb. Underfilled? Dry muffins with peaked tops, avoid too much batter at once.
8. If cheesecake filling bleeds into batter, mixing method or layering too thick likely culprit; keep portions manageable.