Blueberry-Almond Creme Muffins

Contest: 44th Pillsbury Bake Off Top 100 Finalist - Cynthia Bowser

I made this recipe this weekend as another Pillsbury Top 100 Finalist taste test. Makes a great muffin, sort of sophisticated, not too sweet like too many breakfast muffins these days. I had to do some substitutions so it was not the exact recipe entered. I used apricot and cherry preserves in the muffins and I only made a few with almonds, the rest I used graham cracker crumbs (got a nut allergy in the house). This was a great recipe, but not sure if this is the million dollar recipe. Maybe my standards are too high, but I feel if you are going to win a million dollars you have to do something that has never been done with the Pillsbury product. There are many recipes in the Top 100 that are sandwiches or burgers and they use Pillsbury products for the bun/bread. How is that a million dollar idea? Pillsbury dough is meant to be bread. If it has a great burger in it, that is nice, but how is that a Pillsbury original? Just my two cents, which is all I have since I ain't winning a million dollars. These muffins are good, worth making again.

Blueberry-Almond Creme Muffins by Cynthia Bowser

INGREDIENTS

4	oz cream cheese (half of 8-oz package), softened
1/2	cup sugar
1/4	teaspoon almond extract
1/4	teaspoon vanilla
1/2	cup Fisher® Chef’s Naturals® Blanched Slivered Almonds, finely chopped
1	can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Layers refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (8 biscuits)
3	tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Unsalted or Salted Butter, melted
1/4	cup Smucker's® Blueberry Preserves

DIRECTIONS

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Generously spray 8 regular-size muffin cups (2 3/4x1 1/4 inches) with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2.	In medium bowl, stir cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, almond extract and vanilla until smooth and creamy; set aside.
3.	In medium shallow bowl, mix almonds and remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
4.	Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Separate 1 biscuit into 3 layers. Brush 1 layer with melted butter. Firmly press layer, butter side down, into almond mixture, coating evenly. Place layer, almond side down, in bottom and up side of muffin cup. Fill with 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture; spread evenly. Top with second biscuit layer; press edges of layers together. Spoon 1/2 tablespoon of the preserves onto middle of second layer. Brush third biscuit layer with melted butter; firmly press, butter side down, into almond mixture. Place third layer, almond side up, on second layer; press edge of third layer into edge of second layer.
5.	Repeat with remaining biscuits, refrigerating biscuits if dough becomes too soft to separate. Sprinkle any remaining almond mixture onto tops of biscuits.
6.	Bake 17 to 27 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan to cooling rack. Cool 15 minutes before serving.