Silicone baking cups. Who knew?
I got my very first request for a product review on my blog, right before we left for a family vacation to London & Paris. Exciting! I was asked to review silicone baking cups by Rizzi from The New York Baking Company, and told to be completely honest in my review.
I admit I’ve been silicone-skeptical. I’ve tried the ones that came in a built-in tray, more of a silicone baking pan, and I didn’t like them. It was sort of hard to take the muffins out, and you had to put it on a cookie sheet anyway or it got too floppy, and I didn’t quite get the point.
These were totally different. They’re individual cups, and they’re colorful, and they fit perfectly in my muffin tin. (I suppose you could put them on a cookie sheet, but that doesn’t really do anything special for me.) I put my skepticism on hold, and went through old entries on my blog, looking for a foolproof and delicious muffin that would be the right kind of test for these babies.
I settled on Golden Oatmeal Spice Muffins: for one, because in my initial write-up I specifically mentioned how easily the papers came off of them, so I thought it would be a good test, and two, because I bought dry (powdered) buttermilk a while ago and wanted to finally try it. Also, I was hungry. We just spent a glorious week in London & Paris eating delicious but decadent food, and I was ready to eat something with oats and wheat germ and whole wheat white flour.
But I won’t pretend that this isn’t just about the most ideal breakfast a person could ask for:
A girl can dream.
Where was I? The muffins! (I was in Paris again for a moment, but I’m back.)
The powdered buttermilk did its job perfectly, and the batter came together nicely. I popped the silicone cups into my baking pan, and filled them up.
They were ready about 18 minutes later.
I gave them some time to finish cooking in the pan, then pulled them out. The cups were hotter to the touch than paper, but still pain-free. (Always a bonus.)
Pretty, right? I do need cups that are pretty, since I’m always taking pictures of them. And the muffins turned out great, buttermilk powder and all.
So I thought everything was perfect, and then I found the down side. It has more to do with me being an idiot than a flaw on the part of the cups, to be honest. I use wheat germ in my muffins, which makes them healthier but gives them a shorter shelf life. If I have any left after a few days, I usually remember to freeze them, but I forgot this time and still had two left when I realized they were past their prime, to be generous. Without thinking, I scooped them up and pitched them.
24 hours later, I realized that they were still in their silicone cups. D’OH! I threw away two perfectly good, last-a-lifetime, silicone baking cups! I’m an idiot.
So here’s my recap, for the lovely folks at the New York Baking Company:
PROS:
- reusable, therefore money-saving
- easy to clean
- easy to work with, no spraying or greasing needed whatsoever
- muffins don’t stick to the sides
- colorful and pretty for photos
- muffins bake perfectly
- BPA free
CONS:
- if you’re giving muffins away, as I so often do, you’ll need to remove them from the cups first if you want them back
- thoughtfulness is required to remember not to throw them out by accident
That’s it! I’ll still use the paper ones for when I’m giving them away, but these are perfect for everyday use and will save me money for sure. They’re dishwasher-safe but I found it pretty effortless to clean them by hand.
So my advice: get them! I bake muffins all the time and these cups work great, make cleaning easy, and help you save money and create less environmental waste. Just don’t throw them away by accident, because you won’t have a dozen anymore, which is where I am now. Oops.
RECIPE: GOLDEN OATMEAL SPICE MUFFINS
And here’s a little glimpse of some of my favorite food experiences from our vacation:
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