Why aren't my Jiffy muffins coming out with a dome top?

[Becca115]

I have a customer who uses the Jiffy mixes for muffins. She says the muffins don't come out with that little dome top, like normal muffins. She says they "plateau" and have flat tops (almost sunk in the middle). Any tips with the stoneware muffin pan to help? Or do you think it's the mixes? Thanks for your help.

Becca

 

[speedychef]

sounds like the mix to me...I wonder if it's old and the baking soda has gone bad or something. I am not a fan of the jiffy mixes, but whenever I've made them, they domed...maybe they fell because the kids were jumping around the kitchen?

 

[pcleah]

some possible reasons:not cooked long enough, oven temp not accurate,opening the door to check too many times, and I too do not like the Jiffy Mixes. Not sure where everyone lives out there, but if you have a Trader Joe's store, run, don't walk. They have the best cornbread mix EVER (I use it to make muffins and mini muffins). They also have a terrific Pumpkin Bread Mix (also for muffins) YUMMMMM!!!! Enjoy!!!

 

[beepampered]

On the Jiffy Mix box is tells you to let it sit a few minutes after stirring but before you put it in the oven. They will be noticeably bigger if you wait before cooking.

 

[Ginger428]

some possible reasons:not cooked long enough, oven temp not accurate,opening the door to check too many times, and I too do not like the Jiffy Mixes. Not sure where everyone lives out there, but if you have a Trader Joe's store, run, don't walk. They have the best cornbread mix EVER (I use it to make muffins and mini muffins). They also have a terrific Pumpkin Bread Mix (also for muffins) YUMMMMM!!!! Enjoy!!!

I TOTALLY agree!!! His stuff is the BEST!! Also quite reasonable, everytime I go there I find something else new . Found some dried orange flavored cranberries cant wait to add some nuts & make some WONDERFUL breads in the mini loaf pan.

 

[RachelNguyen]

But don't let it sit too long before baking, because if the baking powder has already done it's thing, the muffins could end up being flat that way, too.

Rachel

 

[Chef Diane]

I know Im really late here but....

I have a customer who uses the Jiffy mixes for muffins. She says the muffins don't come out with that little dome top, like normal muffins. She says they "plateau" and have flat tops (almost sunk in the middle). Any tips with the stoneware muffin pan to help? Or do you think it's the mixes? Thanks for your help.

Becca

Its probably the mix. I think they just cook that way, mine always did. With or without our pans. HTH

 

[chefann]

You also need to make sure that any muffin mix you use is really fresh. The baking powder in mixes can expire, just like the baking powder in the canister in your pantry.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I have a customer who uses the Jiffy mixes for muffins. She says the muffins don't come out with that little dome top, like normal muffins. She says they "plateau" and have flat tops (almost sunk in the middle). Any tips with the stoneware muffin pan to help? Or do you think it's the mixes? Thanks for your help.

Becca

I don't know - I have the same problem with a recipe for bran muffins that I have. It is my MIL's recipe, and they are delicious! However, whenever I make them in the muffin stone - I have the same results.....with an almost concave middle....I have tried EVERYTHING (changing temp, buying new baking powder etc...)to create the domed effect - but it just ain't happenin! When I make them in a regular muffin tin, they are fine - and turn out perfectly domed, which leads me to believe that there is something about the muffin stone that doesn't work well with certain types of muffins. I know that it is the temp. and the fact that the sides bake faster than the middle that helps create the dome...so it could actually be the even baking temp of the stone that is at play here.

 

[raebates]

I don't know - I have the same problem with a recipe for bran muffins that I have. It is my MIL's recipe, and they are delicious! However, whenever I make them in the muffin stone - I have the same results.....with an almost concave middle....I have tried EVERYTHING (changing temp, buying new baking powder etc...)to create the domed effect - but it just ain't happenin! When I make them in a regular muffin tin, they are fine - and turn out perfectly domed, which leads me to believe that there is something about the muffin stone that doesn't work well with certain types of muffins. I know that it is the temp. and the fact that the sides bake faster than the middle that helps create the dome...so it could actually be the even baking temp of the stone that is at play here.

Try cooking them just a tad longer. I know the stoneware adds a few mintues to most of my recipes.

 

[chefann]

Now that you mention it, I remember seeing a tip about this on the "Good Eats" muffin show. AB suggested heating the oven to 375, not 350. Then turn it to 350 when you put the muffins in. The oven will be at the higher temp, which will provide some extra heat at the begining of the baking, allowing the batter to cook up the sides of the pan. (Does that make sense to you?)

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Try cooking them just a tad longer. I know the stoneware adds a few mintues to most of my recipes.

I tried changing time, temp. (up to 400*) and just about everything else....I even sought help from a friend of mine who ran a bakery for years. We played around with amounts of baking soda & powder, etc......every time we made them in a metal pan they turned out fine, but wouldn't raise in the middle when we made them in the stone. I make other muffins, cupcakes etc...in the stone, and never have a problem - I just think some recipes may not work as well in the muffin stone!

 

[raebates]

I tried changing time, temp. (up to 400*) and just about everything else....I even sought help from a friend of mine who ran a bakery for years. We played around with amounts of baking soda & powder, etc......every time we made them in a metal pan they turned out fine, but wouldn't raise in the middle when we made them in the stone. I make other muffins, cupcakes etc...in the stone, and never have a problem - I just think some recipes may not work as well in the muffin stone!

Makes sense to me. I guess in my head Pampered Chef is always the best for everything.

 

[strasfamily]

I'm going to try and explain something that I learned in my cake decorating class which I think may apply here. Hopefully I can explain it right.

When cooking in metal pans, the heat isn't distributed as evenly around the edges, therefore the middles rise. They sell these "bake even" strips to put around metal pans so the cakes come out level. Basicaly, you wet the strip and put it around the pan so the pan has to work to heat the outsides creating a more level cake. Could it be that in the stone, the heat is distributed more evenly so the pan doesn't have to work as hard to heat the outside, therefore the middles don't rise?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

That's exactly what I've thought. The exact thing that is a bonus when baking some things in the stones, may be a negative for other things. That is why I tried the higher baking temp too - to form that "crust" along the edges that would force the muffin to rise in the middle. It works with most muffins - but not all!

 

[Chef Kearns]

I've made Jiffy cornbread muffins in our 6-cup muffin stone with no problems. I let my kids do the muffins even and they are perfect. Since I have tried the mix she is using in the same pan as her I would agree with some earlier posts...she needs to let it sit the few minutes as the box suggests.

 

[sillylittlechef]

So, funny that I read this today. I made a jiffy mix this morning (banana nut) The tops did not perfectly dome, but rose just a little. I did notice that they didn't look normal, but couldn't quite put my finger on it until I read this. They taste the same, and I agree that it is the heating evenly phenomenon at work!!!!! But really, does it matter if it has a dome top...it just makes it harder to butter