Baking Buddies and Popover Muffin Recipe

Hey little mama, so apparently my blog is getting around which means I have company’s sending me products for review. I’ve decided if it makes a mom’s life easier–I’ll give an honest review. And Baking Buddies do make a mom’s life easier–especially this one since she tends to set things on fire–no, really–I do!  I’d rather write, blog, and read than bake but I’m getting better at being in the kitchen, especially since after we began our lifestyle change to be more organically plant-based.

I love making my kids all sorts of muffins and cupakes to snack on. What I hate about baking such goodness is the mess of the cupcake pans afterward. Unless the dishwasher can clean the mess in the first wash–the pan is doomed to look gross and as if I never clean it. 

So when the New York Baking Company asked if I would try the product, I was slightly skeptic since I want everything in my home to safe for my kids to eat and that includes what I cook with. 

So I did some research and put these bad boys to the test. Here is what I found. 

The Benefits of Baking Buddies

• Never have to use paper cups ever again.
• Never have to scrub out your muffin pans. 
• BPA free, FDA approved, nonporous and stain proof silicone baking cups!
• Flexible and easy release silicone! Just peel the side to pop out your muffin, cupcake, dessert….!
• Nonstick silicone means food doesn’t cling or stick to baking cups! Easy to clean and dishwasher safe!
• Premium product backed by our lifetime guarantee, click the add to cart button now and never buy paper cups again!

The Composition of Silicone. 

Silicone is a synthetic (man-made) material created by bonding silicon with oxygen.  Silicon is right on the periodic table, a natural element that is in sand and makes up 28% of the earth’s crust.  “Is a natural substance” can’t be the end of one’s material safety research. But what does that mean to me or any other consumer…not so sure.

How does Silicone Interact with Food? 

Silicone is FDA approved as a food-safe substance. That particular sentence means very little, since the FDA approves a whole bunch of things for human consumption that I don’t trust, like hydrogenated oils, for example or the dye deemed edible and safe in Kraft Mac n Cheese.)

Almost all the sources I’ve found state that silicone is inert, meaning it doesn’t react with food or liquids, and doesn’t  create off gas chemical fumes.

However, there haven’t actually been studies testing silicone’s reactions with food under heat. The “nonreactive” claim is just based on the fact that silicon (the element) is “inert.” Again, let’s be serious: just because something in nature is fairly stable doesn’t mean I’ll necessarily cook and eat on it.

Does it Make My Kitchen Life Easier? 

Yes, Yes and did I say Yes!? 

I loved how easily my muffins came right out of the cup. It baked my muffins and other items evenly and were a simple to clean up with a little dish soap and hot water. 

My kids loved the bright colors too. I’ve already recommended these bad boys to friends. 🙂

The Bottom line on baking with Silicone. 

• If you want to be very conservative, skip the silicone and stick with glass, cast iron, or stainless steel for cooking and baking and parchment paper if you need something flexible.

To Use: simple insert your baking buddies into your muffin pan. Ignore my messy ones–we’ve discussed this!

Spray with olive oil spray or whatever you use.  I use real olive oil with two parts water in a spray bottle. 🙂 

Add your ingredients. 

And here they are as they pop out of the oven. Perfecto! 

YUM! 

Pop Over Muffins with Coconut Cream

2013-12-30 19:41:10

Yields 10

Top your muffins and cream with blueberries!

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Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

40 min

Total Time

1 hr

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

40 min

Total Time

1 hr

For the Coconut Cream

1. 1 can full fat coconut milk.
2. Add 2-3 Tbsp of powdered confectioners sugar to the white stuff.
3. Optional: add cinnamon, vanilla bean - any small amount of flavor you'd like.

For the Muffins

1. 4 to 6 tablespoons melted earth balance butter, divided
2. 2 eggs (optional, you can use flax eggs)
3. 2 cup coconut or almond milk, warmed for 30 seconds in the microwave (should be lukewarm to warm)
4. 2 cups sprouted all purpose flour
5. 1 teaspoon kosher salt

How-to Make Whipped Coconut Milk Cream

1. Step 1: Buy a can of full fat coconut milk.
2. Step 2: Place it in the fridge overnight.
3. Step 3: Open the can without shaking it or turning upside down.
4. Step 4: Carefully spoon out the top layer of opaque white stuff that has gathered at the top of the can. Spoon into a mixing bowl. You will be left with about 1/2 cup of white syrup-y looking translucent liquid. Leave this in the can. Note: I use this leftover liquid in numerous coconut-y recipes. Plus, it makes a great coconut syrup - almost like a hydrated extract of coconut flavor.
5. Step 5: Add 2-3 Tbsp of powdered confectioners sugar to the white stuff. Optional: add cinnamon, vanilla bean - any small amount of flavor you'd like.
6. Step 6: Grab a hand beater (simple mixers work just as well as expensive ones)
7. Step 7: Whip the coconut milk froth until creamy. Start on low and move to a higher speed, move the beater in an up and down motion to infuse the mixture with as much air as possible.
8. Step 8: Serve!

For the Muffins

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Using a pastry brush, coat 8 muffin cups with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter or coconut oil. Meanwhile, mix the eggs in a blender until light yellow.
3. Add the warmed milk and blend.
4. Add the flour, salt and remaining melted butter, and blend until smooth.
5. Pour the batter into the warmed muffin tin and return it to the oven to bake until golden, about 35 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

By Heather Riggleman

Heather Riggleman https://heatherriggleman.com/