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Using Muffin Top Pans


I have a pan I think is called "muffin tops", which makes 6 muffins 1/2" deep and 3" wide.  What baking time, temperature and can I use any muffin or cake  mixture?

--Helen

You may recall the Seinfeld episode where Elaine suggests just selling the tops of muffins, but why are they the best part?  Because they are crunchy, and because of the Maillard reaction which occurs when proteins and sugars combine under heat.  The reaction creates complex, nutty flavors that just aren't found on the inside of a muffin.  By cooking shallow disks of batter, you increase the proportion of outside, which is crunchy and flavorful, to inside, which is soft and more bland.

A typical muffin top pan has either six or twelve shallow cups, each of which holds about the same amount of batter as the cup on a regular muffin tin.  Since yours is a six cup tin, you either need to half your recipe, make two batches, or buy a second six cup tin and bake them both at once.

You can use any of your favorite muffin recipes, including those made from muffin or cake mixes.   Just follow the instructions provided.  Because the batter is cooked in a thinner layer, heat can penetrate it more quickly so  muffin tops will cook quicker than regular muffins.  The time will be about half to three-quarters as long as for regular muffins.  As with any muffin or cake recipes, you can use a clean toothpick to test for doneness.  Insert the toothpick into the center of the muffin and pull it out again.  While some crumbs may stick to it, if the muffins are done, there shouldn't be any wet batter adhering to the toothpick.

For recipes with a lot of sugar, you may find that the muffin tops start to burn too quickly.  If that happens, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F to 50°F (15°C to 30°C).

Comments

I have a 6" long by 3.5" wide and 2" deep mini loaf pan. How long should I cook muffins in them.

I just used my pan for the first time.

I used a martha white mix (standard 1/2 recipe yield). I used a standard ice cream scoop to measure 1/4 cup per muffin, the same amount as a regular muffin cup. In a well pre-heated oven, it took the lower suggested time to bake the muffins, ~10 minutes @ 425 degreees.

The muffins came out great but there was a very thin brown edge around the tops. This is something I like because of the added crunch, but not everyone does. When spraying the pan I used bakers secret spray with flour . . . that most likely caused the darker ring. You may want to try regular spray, without the flour, when preparing the pans to get rid of it. Or possibly turn the temp down a little and go for the suggested times like any other muffin.

How much batter do you put into the muffin top pan?

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