Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

I needed muffins to go with my batch of Creamy Pesto Pasta salad and wanted something different, something sweet and fruity. Idea: raspberries. Very. Good. Idea.

I used frozen berries, and they all got smooshed up in the batter with cream cheese and lemon juice and sugar. The end result was pretty much dessert.

It reminded me of the Entenmann's Raspberry Danish Twist sweet roll that was always our special breakfast treat at my grandmother's beach condo.  We bought Entenmann's at the beach this year for old time's sake, and the memories made it taste good. But the muffins taste way better (duh, homemade always wins).

Lemon-Raspberry Muffins
Adapted from Cooking Light

2/3 cup (5 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
½ lemon, juiced
zest of one lemon
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar; beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and yogurt to cream cheese mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Gently fold in raspberries.

Place 24 foil cup liners in muffin cups. Spoon batter evenly into liners. Bake at 350° 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans; cool on a wire rack.