Muffin Baking Basics

Try these hints for baking all sizes of muffins: 

• Use shiny muffin pans for golden, tender muffin crusts. Silicone muffin pans also work well and are easy for beginning bakers to handle.
• Grease only bottoms of muffin cups with shortening for muffins with rounded tops and no ledges, or use paper muffin liners for reliable shapes and easy cleanup.
• Measure ingredients carefully for best muffin texture and moistness.
• Muffin batter should be lumpy after stirring dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir just until moistened, so that muffins aren’t tough with peaked tops outside and air holes inside.
• Use a spring-handled #20 or #24 ice-cream scoop to fill regular-size muffin cups 3/4 full with batter—just the right amount to give muffins nicely rounded tops. Melon-size scoops work well for mini-muffins.
• For muffin tops, try Betty Crocker® Wild Blueberry Muffin Tops. Drop the muffin batter by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet and you’ll soon have muffin tops to-die-for.
• Left with empty, greased muffin cups? Fill them half full with water to prevent burning grease during baking—and all the cups will bake more evenly.
• Loosen and remove muffins immediately after baking so they don't become soggy, unless otherwise directed. Muffins that need a few minutes to set are more fragile; they’re easier to remove after a short rest.