How to make big muffins

Have you ever baked muffins using your traditional 12 cup muffin pan, pulled one out when it was nice and hot, and placed a pad of butter on it to only have the first muffin gone in a few bites?  Then, you go back for a second one, thinking you needed just a little more, and before you know it, you feel like you ate too many and think “If the muffin was just a little bit bigger, I wouldn’t have just eaten all of these.”


Muffin Comparison

Well, now you can make the large muffins you see at Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, or your local bakery in your own kitchen.  The best thing is you don’t even have to buy a special baking pan to make them. In fact, you probably already have these in your kitchen, or something similar that would work.  A simple trick that I learned when I was younger, from my Dad, was to use custard cups.  Yes, custard cups.

You simply make your regular muffin recipe, nothing fancy, and place them into greased custard cups.  I tend to grease mine using a butter flavored cooking spray.  I think it does a nice job of making them non-stick as well as adding a nice buttery flavor and not adding calories.

Custard Cup

Using the custard cup as your baking vessel, usually yields half the amount of muffins as your regular recipe.  For example, if your recipe normally produces 24 muffins, you will get 12 large muffins.  So, if you really wanted 24 large muffins, you will need to double your recipe.

The baking temperature should be the same for your recipe as it normally is, but it will take a little longer to cook. I leave them at the same temperature because I like mine to have a little crisp on the edges of the tops and have a nice golden brown colo Muffins r. I usually bake the muffins 15-20 minutes and I check on them.  When you insert a cake tester or toothpick in the center and it comes out clean, then you know they are done.     Enjoy your big muffins!

 

Another tip:  I like to place my custard cups on a cookie sheet when I place them in the oven.  It makes it easier to put them in and take them out.