Rant about paper baking cups

[mom-from-missouri]

They raised the price. Now its 75 cents for 50 cups. I used to be able to get 200 for 99 cents. I did a search online, and found where I could get them for .004 cents per cup, but I would have to buy 10,000 at a time. Ugh. I will keep searching. We eat a lot of muffins, cornbread and cupcakes. Since I pack everyones lunch & supper (on game nights) we use a lot of them. Much quicker and easier to clean up the the old grease and flour method. I usually make 144 of something at a time, then freeze them till needed. No one wants to eat the same thing every day, so right now in the freezer I have-apple muffins, white cupcakes, yellow cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, blueberry muffins, cornmeal muffins, and I am getting ready to make some pumpkin ones, as soon as I find a good receipe, (I just found about 6 cans of pumpkin hiding, that are going out of date in March-need to use them up).
Seems like a lot I know, but for 5, sometimes 9 meals packed a day, 1 for each meal, plus the kids get snack time at work, DH takes a snack for work, and I like to snack too...we may go thru 24 a day.

[PrincessPerky]

I had that same problem awhile back, I found some silicone baking liners, I was leery at first (the initial cost is astronomical) but I love the liners, they are easier than paper for the kids to seperate and put in the trays for me.

so can I have your cornmeal muffin recipe? none of the ones I tried work right.

[tinapbeana]

i have a silicon muffin 'pan' and am a big fan. i use it to make granola pucks more than anything (spoon granola recipe into the bottom of the cups and bake). havne't tried the silicon cups, though.

[mom-from-missouri]

Originally Posted by PrincessPerky

I had that same problem awhile back, I found some silicone baking liners, I was leery at first (the initial cost is astronomical) but I love the liners, they are easier than paper for the kids to seperate and put in the trays for me.

so can I have your cornmeal muffin recipe? none of the ones I tried work right.

Silicone baking liners? Never heard of them. Explain please!

Here is the one that DH likes best. I make it as below, but when he makes it, he adds jalipeno peppers (sliced), esp if he has it with chili. I don't use baking cups for these, as they 'stick' to them.

1 cup cornmeal
4 Tbsp sugar
2 cups flour
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs


Cream shortening and sugar together. Add eggs and mix well. Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredents. Pour into greased pan or muffin pan and bake moderate oven 20-25 minutes.

I usually keep the oven here in MO at 350. But, when we were in the mountains camping, I had to lower it, and when we camped in FL I had to increase it. Don't know if the oven (gas in the camper) was acting differently due to the dampness and altitude, or what.

[boomeyers]

I just use the cooking spray in my muffin tins and things just fall right out.
Do a search online to look up the silicone baking products. Everyone carries them from Target to Tupperware. They are like a flexible plastic that does'nt burn and is reusable.

[s.saver]

Bed Bath and Beyond is also a good place to look for these.

[s.saver]

Originally Posted by mom-from-missouri

Silicone baking liners? Never heard of them. Explain please!

Here is the one that DH likes best. I make it as below, but when he makes it, he adds jalipeno peppers (sliced), esp if he has it with chili. I don't use baking cups for these, as they 'stick' to them.

1 cup cornmeal
4 Tbsp sugar
2 cups flour
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs



Cream shortening and sugar together. Add eggs and mix well. Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredents. Pour into greased pan or muffin pan and bake moderate oven 20-25 minutes.

I usually keep the oven here in MO at 350. But, when we were in the mountains camping, I had to lower it, and when we camped in FL I had to increase it. Don't know if the oven (gas in the camper) was acting differently due to the dampness and altitude, or what.

Your recipe sounds awesome. Just wondering since you freeze a lot of muffins. What is the best way you have found to do this. Individually, in a plastic container. Please help me as I woul bake more if I knew how to freeze them.

[benosayi]

If you stock up after hoildays they are really cheap. I got halloween muffin cups for .9 cent. They were 90% off. I am waiting for the christmas to at least go to 75% off.

[PrincessPerky]

well as to where to find the silicone liners, mine came from food lion (grocery store.) I bought a set for my sister in law from walmart. But I didn't come up with any when I searched online. (though I found one nice review.)

They are just like paper liners, you have to put them in the pans, and then clean them to reuse, no spray or anything needed for any muffin I have made, but you can't clean them with soap, it takes the taste of it. (ewww-soapy muffins)

I also hunt for after holiday sales, I use them for cupcakes..my chocolate cupcake recipe is really sticky, and eewwy, and needs a liner to protect your hands.

[mom-from-missouri]

i'm gonig to look for them next time I am in a decent store. Can you remember how many in a set or the price?

[PrincessPerky]

6 in a reg sized pack, 12in the mini size, I got 2 of each, with that plus a mini loaf pan (what a batch tends to make) and the cast iron pot that lives in the oven, there is no room for more, and I can always empty them in minutes to refill.

cost..err actually not sure, maybe 7$ for each pack? Like I said, a LOT, but a one time deal.

Oh and thanks for the recipe, is that yelloow cornmeal? and would it hurt to use real butter?

[mom-from-missouri]

Hummm, my birthday is coming up in April--maybe that is something to put on the list!

[jodi]

I used Crisco to grease the tins a while back when I ran out of muffin liners - it did a pretty good job. But I do like the liners better when have them

If you haven't found a pumpkin recipe yet, here's one. It's a healthier version, but if you don't like the "healthier" taste, you can use all white flour. I've never used the flax seed called for in the recipe either.

1 c. pumpkin
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. oil
2 T. ground flax seed
1 t. vanilla
1 c. whole wheat flour
2/3 c. white flour
1 c. sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/3 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

I neglected to write down any directions, but I just mix the dry, add in the wet to combine, then bake as you would any other muffins. I think it made 12 muffins.

[benosayi]

I wonder if anyone knows where I can find low sodium baking soda or powder in Massachusetts?

[katwoman]

Originally Posted by benosayi

I wonder if anyone knows where I can find low sodium baking soda or powder in Massachusetts?

Try the health food stores. I remember there was one that was aluminum free.



Didn't know there was such a thing as baking liners for muffin pans!

[LuckyRobin]

s.saver--

I wrap mine individually in saran wrap and then either store them in tupperware in the freezer or in gallon sized Ziploc baggies. They keep about 3 months that way and the muffins still taste great.