Ingredients

• 1 lemon, juice and zest of
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup Splenda sugar substitute
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup blackberry
• 2 ounces neufchatel cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Spray or butter a muffin tin (insides and tops to prevent the muffins from sticking with the puff up) and set aside.

3. Zest a lemon, and set aside.

4. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a measuring cup over a sieve to catch the seeds and pips.

5. Pour milk into the measuring cup to make up a half cup.

6. Stir sour cream into the measuring cup.

7. Stir in the zest and vanilla, and then set aside.

8. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

9. In a large bowl, measure out the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and Splenda. Mix well.

10. To the lemon and milk mixture, add the egg and whisk to combine.

11. Next, add the cooled butter and mix well. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix just to combine.

12. Do not over-mix - there may well be lumps but that’s alright.

13. Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling them halfway.

14. Sprinkle a few berries in and then continue to fill the muffin tins to the top.

15. Cut neufchatel into 9 squares, press each square into the top of each muffin.

16. Top each muffin with a blackberry.

17. Bake in a 400 F oven for 25 minutes until the tops are springy.

18. Cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10-15 minutes.