Page 308 - Cupcakes

with a wooden spoon until well combined, 30 strokes. Sprinkle a teaspoon of

pecans into the bottom of each oiled muffin cup. Spoon or scoop ⅓ cup batter
into each cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. Sprinkle the remaining
pecans evenly over the tops of the muffins and place the pans in the oven.

the Cupcake Doctor says...

If you have trouble finding a butterscotch cake mix, you can use a plain
yellow cake mix instead. Or omit the pudding mix and substitute a butter
pecan cake mix that has pudding in it. from the oven and place them on a
wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the
muffins, lift them up from the bottom of the cups using the end of the knife,
and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a
wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, and the
muffins are ready to serve.

3. Bake the muffins until the pecans have browned and the muffins just spring
back when lightly pressed with your finger, 17 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans

Store these muffins, without the confectioners’ sugar garnish, in a cake saver
or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze them,
wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw the
muffins overnight in the refrigerator. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar before
serving.

You’re the Tops

Love the crunchy top of a muffin? Mist the bottoms of the muffin cups and
also the flat top of the pan with oil. Overfill the pan so that the batter
reaches nearly to the top. Bake at 350°F so the muffins have a chance to rise
slowly and spread. The muffins will bake up tall and spread onto the top of
the pan, creating a big-top look. Remove the pan from the oven and let the
muffins rest in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes, then with a serrated knife and
using the pan as a level, slice off the top of the muffin. Remove it carefully
to a rack to cool or to a plate and serve. Serve the muffin bottoms separately.