Muffin Tin Chef Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Introduction

  MORNING GLORIES: BREAKFAST & BRUNCH

  BAKED EGGS IN PROSCIUTTO CUPS

  HUEVOS RANCHEROS WITH SALSA VERDE

  SPANISH OMELET

  BACON AND EGGS

  EGG AND SAUSAGE POLENTA CUPS

  COTTAGE CHEESE—PESTO MUFFINS

  BAKED OATMEAL

  PEACH OATMEAL BAKE

  GERMAN PEAR PANCAKES

  PEACH-STUFFED FRENCH TOAST BOWLS WITH VANILLA-SCENTED YOGURT

  MICROWAVE QUINOA CAKES WITH MAPLE-ALMOND BUTTER

  FRENCH TOASTIES WITH BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

  PARMESAN HASH BROWNS

  TURKEY-PARMESAN MUFFINS

  HOT CROSS CRANBERRY BUNS

  ORANGE POPOVERS WITH RASPBERRY-CHIA JAM

  APRICOT JAM—STUFFED BREAD CUPS

  GRANOLA ROUNDS

  SEEDY ROUNDS

  FRUITY ENERGY BITES

  ALMOND PROTEIN BITES

  SPLENDID STARTERS: APPETIZERS

  CURRIED SHRIMP CUPS

  GOAT CHEESE—MUSHROOM PHYLLO BITES

  PROSCIUTTO CHEESE PUFFS

  TWO-CHEESE SMOKY CHICKEN CUPS

  SPINACH DIP BOWLS

  BASIL PESTO

  CAPRESE CUPS

  SMOKED MACKEREL MOUSSE CUPS

  CRUSTLESS SMOKED SALMON QUICHES

  FALAFELS WITH ASPARAGUS HUMMUS

  PANCETTA CUPS WITH FIG JAM

  BITTY BURGERS

  PIZZA BITES WITH MARINARA SAUCE

  PRETZEL ROUNDS WITH HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE

  MINTED AVOCADO CUPS

  APPLE AND SAUSAGE MINI QUICHES

  STARS OF THE SHOW: MAIN DISHES

  LASAGNA ROLLS

  TURKEY POT PIES

  MEATLOAVES WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

  EGGPLANT PARMESAN

  MINI MACARONI AND CHEESE

  PIZZA DOUGH

  SPINACH PESTO—BACON PIZZA

  CHICKEN ITALIANO PIZZA

  BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CARAMELIZED ONION PIZZA

  CURRY TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE

  STEAK BURRITO BOWLS

  TACO CUPS

  FISH TACOS

  SALMON CAKES WITH GRILLED PEACH SALSA

  CRAB CAKES WITH CORN-TOMATO RELISH

  CHICKEN-RICE CABBAGE ROLLS

  WILD RICE CABBAGE ROLLS

  SWEET-AND-SOUR TOFU EGG ROLLS

  PORK CAKES WITH APPLE-PLUM CHUTNEY

  BEAN LOAVES WITH TOMATO JAM

  SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD’S PIE

  BROCCOLI-MUSHROOM FRITTATAS

  SPINACH QUICHES

  QUINOA, KALE, AND FETA BAKE

  TRUSTY SIDEKICKS: SIDE DISHES

  RATATOUILLE MUFFINS

  YORKSHIRE PUDDING WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY

  CORN CAKES

  QUINOA-MUSHROOM CAKES WITH SRIRACHA AIOLI

  BROCCOLI-BEAN CAKES WITH GARLIC-LEMON BUTTER SAUCE

  SAMOSA PUFFS WITH GREEN CHUTNEY

  BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUFFLÉS

  SWEET POTATO—SWISS CHARD GRATINS

  ROASTED GARLIC CORNBREAD

  EDAMAME-STUFFED RUTABAGA CUPS

  RICE-VEGGIE BAKE WITH ALMOND CREAM SAUCE

  MASHED POTATO CUPS WITH CURRY SOUR CREAM

  SAVORY SMOKED SALMON AND CHEESE MUFFINS

  JALAPEÑO CHEESE ROLLS

  SPINACH DINNER ROLLS

  CHEDDAR-SAGE BISCUITS

  TOMATO-EGG TARTLETTES

  STUFFINS

  BLACK BEAN CUPS WITH SMOKY AVOCADO

  SAVE ROOM FOR … DESSERT

  EXTRA-MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKES

  CARROT CAKES WITH MAPLE FROSTING AND CANDIED CARROT

  LEMON CAKES WITH BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

  SWEET POTATO BROWNIE BITES

  NO-BAKE CHEESE CAKES WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

  PETITE PIES

  PEACH PIE FILLING

  APPLE PIE FILLING

  PECAN TARTS

  BAKLAVA CUPS

  STRAWBERRY YOGURT TARTS

  ORANGE PANNA COTTA WITH JAVA-FIG COMPOTE

  POMEGRANATE FRUIT SALAD

  ALMOND-CHERRY CLAFOUTIS

  PISTACHIO BUTTER—DARK CHOCOLATE CUPS

  RASPBERRY SEMIFREDDO WITH PECAN CRUST

  FROZEN RASPBERRY-LEMON MUFFINS

  SOUR CHERRY—MINT POPS

  FROZEN BERRIES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CASHEW CREAM

  YOGURT-CANTALOUPE POPS

  CAPPUCCINO CUPS

  RESOURCES

  Conversions

  RECIPE INDEX

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  About Muffin Tin Chef

  Copyright Page

  INTRODUCTION

  The Muffin Pan Can

  So how does a male dietitian come to write a cookbook devoted to muffin tins? Well, it started with a magazine assignment I was given a few years ago to develop several recipes using the trusty muffin tin with one big stipulation: no muffins! At that point, muffins were all I had ever used one for. However, as I started to research recipes, I quickly uncovered a plethora of savory and sweet possibilities. In fact, the muffin pan is a kitchen workhorse if there ever were one. Don’t let the name fool you; they’re good for much more than rustling up a batch of muffins or cupcakes. After the assignment, I found myself breaking out the can-do pans more and more often for everything from individual quiches to pancakes. Here’s why you should, too:

  FAST AND FURIOUS. In many instances, cooking items in a muffin tin can significantly slash cooking time. Take mini meatloaves, for example. In a loaf pan, a meatloaf can take up to 1 hour to bake, but break up the portions into muffin cups and you can be feasting in half the time. Ditto for cakes and quick breads. This also helps cut down on energy usage, helping you save a few bucks and live a little greener.

  BUILT-IN PORTION CONTROL. In a time when obesity is such a major concern, muffin tin meals are ideal for keeping portions in check. A recipe such as muffin-size frittatas may call for a cup of cheese (I mean, hey, isn’t everything better with cheese?), but when the portion is just two individual frittatas, suddenly your fat and calorie intake is well within reason so your waistline won’t bulge postprandial.

  GREAT FOR KIDS. Preparing muffin-size items takes advantage of a child’s preference for easy-to-grab, hand-to-mouth eating. Personal-size treats such as pizza or mac ’n’ cheese are sure to be a hit at the dinner table and in the lunchroom. It’s also easy to sneak in a bunch of vegetables that tykes may not be too enthusiastic about eating. And you can get them involved in mixing the ingredients and filling the muffin cups.

  ADAPTABLE AND PACKABLE. Compact and portable, muffin tin meals are more transportable than their full-size counterparts, making them ideal for lunch boxes, road trips, potlucks, and picnics.

  LOOKS TO KILL. If you’re looking for an easy meal that will impress a group of family or friends, look no further! Adorable muffin tin meals and snacks are sure to be a conversation topic and make guests coo with delight.

  FROZEN ASSETS. Stuck with extra chili, chicken broth, tomato paste, or pasta sauce? Instead of tossing these into a zip-top bag or plastic container where they’ll form a giant food ice cube, try dividing them into muffin tin compartments. They’ll freeze into individual portions that will defrost much quicker than a huge chunk of subzero food. Place items into the muffin cups, freeze until solid, unmold and then store in zip-top bags.

  MY PERFECT DAY OF MUFFIN-SIZE EATING

  If you asked me what my ideal day of noshing on muffin tin goodies would be, I would be in a state of edible bliss with this menu:

  Breakfast: Peach Oatmeal Bake (page 23)

  Morning Snack: Granola Rounds (page 37)

  Lunch: Savory Smoked Salmon and Cheese Muffins (page 112)

&
nbsp; Afternoon Snack: Seedy Rounds (page 38)

  Dinner: Taco Cups (page 78)

  Dessert: Extra-Moist Chocolate Cakes (page 122)

  So you see, the muffin tin is undeniably a kitchenware overachiever. I hope you’ll join me in the muffin tin revolution.

  Tools of the Trade

  Obviously, if you’re going to give this book a good workout, you’ll need an arsenal of muffin tins. Today, there are more options than ever.

  Silicone

  Love them or hate them, food-grade silicone muffin cups have a number of things going for them. Virtually nonstick, silicone is a smart choice for items that may adhere with passion to your muffin cups, such as egg-based quiches and frittatas. This cuts down on the need for using paper liners and the waste they create, as well as the need for greasing. I also appreciate that they’re flexible, which makes unmolding goodies much less risky and arduous. You’ll find this very helpful for recipes such as panna cottas (page 136) and the assortment of frozen treats, including the cappuccino cups (page 148). Being able to turn the cups inside out also makes washing them more manageable. However, you’ll need to place silicone muffin trays on a baking sheet before sliding them into the oven to provide stability. Silicone is freezer-, microwave-, and dishwasher-safe, and the variety of cheerfully vibrant colors the trays come in can brighten up a kitchen.

  However, there are a few caveats. Some manufacturers claim silicone does not stain. This has not been my experience with the colored trays. This is purely aesthetic and does not negatively affect performance. Silicone doesn’t produce crispy pastry like metal or stoneware muffin tins do, so I’ll often turn to the latter when making mini pies or other items with a crust. Depending on your preference, keep in mind that items such as cakes and muffins may not rise or brown to the same degree with silicone. Because you can’t preheat them like you can with metal, silicone muffin cups are not ideal for recipes such as Yorkshire pudding (page 98) or popovers (page 37) where you want to add the batter to a hot pan.

  By far, the best quality silicone muffin trays are the Flexipan ones from Demarle at Home, makers of the widely popular Silpat baking sheet liner. Made with a combination of woven glass and food-grade silicone, the shiny black trays produce better browning, rising, and more even cooking than other silicone muffin trays and are the most nonstick of the silicone bunch. They also can be rolled for easy storage. Bonus: They come with a lifetime warranty. For best results, Demarle recommends placing their trays on a perforated baking sheet, allowing more contact with the heat of the oven.

  Metal

  Standing the test of time, metal muffin trays remain the preferred choice for many home bakers. I recommend purchasing one made with heavy-gauge steel such as aluminized or stainless, which allow for even heating and produce perfectly browned baked items. When you pick up the pan, you want it to feel solid and have some weight to it. Also, look for a tin with large, wide handles, which make it easier to transport into and out of the oven. Nonstick coating makes unmolding and cleanup easier, but I understand that not everyone trusts that these materials are completely safe. Filling empty metal cups with water can help prevent scorching during baking.

  Stoneware

  I was skeptical at first, but I now adore my rustic Pampered Chef stoneware muffin tray. Made from clay, it produces reliable results since heat distribution is even and the nonporous surface doesn’t retain odors. If not using paper liners, the more you use stoneware, the more “seasoned” and nonstick it becomes. Similar to cast-iron, it’s best not to use soap for cleaning purposes. If you end up with sticky bits on the bottom, simply boil some water, pour it into the cups, and let it sit for several minutes to loosen.

  Thick, dense stoneware holds its heat, meaning it can continue to cook whatever is in the muffin molds after removal from the oven. For this reason, I try to pull out items such as muffins and mini cakes a couple of minutes earlier than a recipe calls for to prevent overcooked and dried out baked goods. Like silicone, do not use stoneware under the broiler.

  Cast-Iron

  As they say, food just tastes better when cooked in heavy metal. Old-school cast-iron muffin trays produce crusty baked goods that brown nicely and evenly. Some cast-iron products such as those from Lodge come preseasoned for improved nonstick performance, but if you rescue one from Grandma’s attic, you’ll probably want to season it again for better results. Cast-iron holds its heat exceptionally well, so similar to baking in stoneware, err on the side of pulling items out of the oven a little early, as they’ll continue to cook while sitting in the tray post-oven. As with all cast-iron cookware, a little loving care (don’t wash with soap and dry immediately) goes a long way to ensure a lifetime of great performance. Since it’s made out of iron, some of the mineral likely gets transferred to the food during baking. This is particularly beneficial for premenopausal women who often have poor iron levels due to menstrual blood loss and inadequate dietary intake.

  Size Matters

  Muffin tins generally come in three sizes: mini, medium, and jumbo.

  Mini muffin trays that often have 12, 20, or 24 molds (holding about 2 tablespoons of batter each) per tray are great for making bite-size treats or a variety of crowd-friendly hors d’oeuvres.

  Muffin trays with medium-size cups, sometimes called “standard” muffin trays, come with either 6 or 12 molds that hold about 1/2 cup each. This is the most versatile size for muffins, desserts, snack items, and savory side dishes.

  Jumbo, or Texas-size, muffin trays most often have 6 individual cup molds and each has about a 1-cup capacity. They are an excellent option for hearty muffin tin main dishes.

  A Sticky Situation

  It’s completely deflating to put your heart into a recipe only to have huge chunks of it stick to the bottoms of the muffin cups. With the exception of silicone trays, which rarely need coating, greasing muffin cups with a moderate amount of oil or butter can often stymie serious sticking. This is particularly important for egg-based muffin tin creations such as frittatas, as eggs have the tendency to stick like cement. Be sure to get the oil or butter into all the crevices. After cooking, letting the items cool for several minutes in the muffin tray can go a long way in helping ensure intact extraction.

  As long as you don’t mind the fluted surface they leave, another option to reduce the worry of sticking is paper liners. Look for unbleached options, or better yet, try out the liners from PaperChef. Their parchment cups are very much nonstick and completely biodegradable. Or if you run out of liners, you can improvise with some parchment paper cut into squares, which can give items an elegant, Martha Stewart–worthy presentation. Greasing the muffin cups helps keep the parchment paper in place.

  How to Use This Book

  Accompanying many of the recipes on the following pages are these symbols:V Recipe is vegetarian, meaning it does not contain any meat or seafood. It may contain eggs or dairy.

  G Recipe is free of any gluten-containing products such as wheat flour. When purchasing items like oats or soy sauce, opt for those labeled “gluten-free.”

  F Recipe can be frozen for later use.

  Many recipes can be altered by substituting ingredients based on what’s in your pantry and what your palate prefers. If you have special dietary needs, I’m confident you can work within the spirit of the recipe to make something similar that works for you. For example, if gluten tussles your tummy, you could use gluten-free bread crumbs or crushed puffed brown rice cereal when making individual shepherd’s pies (page 90), or try textured vegetable protein when rustling up taco cups (page 78) to ensure they’re vegetarian friendly.

  Cooking times are approximate. Ovens can vary greatly with respect to the amount of heat they produce and retain. You may want to check for doneness about a minute or two before the cooking time indicated in the recipe. If your oven heats unevenly, try rotating the muffin tin halfway through the baking time.

  Most often, I don’t mention the need for greasing the muffin cups in the recipe ins
truction as this depends on the type of tray you use. For example, silicone trays rarely require it, but if using metal or stoneware, assume that it’s always a good idea to apply a light coating of oil or butter. In reality, the extra calorie load this creates is negligible. I’m not a fan of oil sprays as they tend to leave a sticky residue and have an ingredient list with too many whatchamacallits. Better options for greasing are vegetables oils such as coconut or grapeseed and good old-fashioned butter. As the product cooks up, this little bit of fat on the bottom helps brown the undersides of baked goods, giving them a toasty mouthfeel. For intact extraction, always allow cooked items to cool in the muffin cups before attempting to unmold.

  As much as possible, I try to base recipes on whole foods, as these provide a bigger nutritional payoff than more processed ingredients. For example, I almost always try to swap out all-purpose flour for more nutrient-dense whole wheat pastry flour. More flavorful coconut palm sugar, called for in many recipes, is a definite step-up from heavily refined white sugar.

  MORNING GLORIES: BREAKFAST & BRUNCH

  As the old saying goes, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” It’s true! A raft of research shows that consuming a well-balanced breakfast can improve concentration and help one maintain a healthy body weight, the latter likely by revving up metabolism and helping you avoid vending machine temptation later in the day. Studies also suggest breakfast eaters have an overall diet that is richer in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. But maybe you’ve fallen into a breakfast rut—serving up the same bowl of cereal or plate of fried eggs every morning has left you a little blasé about your daybreak meal. Well, these muffin tin breakfast ideas are a fun and tasty way to break out of it.