A few tips for muffin-baking success at home.
● Baking powder and/or baking soda are used to make muffins rise and give them their light texture. Check the expiration dates on the containers of baking powder and baking soda because the muffins will not rise properly if either is old. Bake batters immediately after mixing so leavening power is not lost.
● For the best crumb, don't sift the flour (you're making a quick bread, not a cake); just spoon into a measuring cup, then level off.
● Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another. Then mix dry into wet, stirring only long enough to combine the two and to moisten the flour (a few lumps are fine). Muffins do best when less gluten is formed, so they will have a tender crumb.
● Shiny, light-colored bake ware — aluminum and stainless steel — is recommended for light brown crusts. Avoid dark or black pans, as they tend to yield dark-crusted, dry, tougher muffins. If you opt for nonstick, some advise using paper liners, due to the current concern about the pan coating.
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● Some experts suggest avoiding silicone muffin cups because of uneven baking and browning tendencies. If you do use them, be sure to spray well with nonstick cooking spray (with flour in it for easy removal of muffins) and place on a baking sheet for baking.
● While some love paper liners, others avoid them because the result looks more like a cupcake than a muffin.
● Grease only the bottoms of muffin pans (if the recipe directs) so the batter doesn't form an overhanging dry or hard edge.
● The easiest, neatest and most time-saving way to evenly fill muffin cups is with a 1/4- or 1/2-cup measure or an automatic-release ice cream scoop (available at cookware shops or restaurant supply stores). Fill muffin cups so there is room for expansion when baking.
● Fill any unused muffin cups in the pan halfway up with water prior to baking to help nearby muffins bake evenly, keep them from drying out and protect metal pans from warping in the high oven heat.
● Be sure to preheat the oven 10 to 15 minutes before baking muffins so they will rise properly.
● Cool muffins in pans at least 5 minutes or longer after you remove them from the oven so they will hold their shape.
● Most recipes lend themselves to making muffins of various sizes, but you'll have to adjust baking times accordingly. If you're using a muffin recipe designed for standard-size pans but are baking the batter in mini muffin pans, figure on reducing the baking time by about half; in extra-large muffin pans, increase the baking time by about one-third.
● To make muffins with whole wheat flour, substitute no more than half wheat flour for white flour in recipes for best results (be aware that muffins will be heavier than if all white flour was used).
● Most muffins are best eaten the day baked.
● Baked muffins can be frozen two to three months. Freeze in a tightly sealed freezer bag when fresh and cool. To thaw, let stand at room temperature 2-4 hours.
● Sources: "The Ultimate Muffin Book" by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough; "Betty Crocker Cookbook, Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today."
