ACTION TO TAKED IF CUPCAKE LINERS ARE FORGOTTEN AT THE STORE

I’d hazard to bet that practically everyone forgets at least something at the grocery on most excursions, regardless of how meticulous you are about noting down every ingredient on a shopping list before you head to the store or if you write down a few items but wing it most of the time. For my part, I can still clearly recall this same situation from the last time I went to get ingredients for blueberry muffins. I almost never bake, so I didn’t have any baking cups at home. Interestingly, even though they were on my list, I didn’t remember to buy those humble little cups when I was unpacking groceries at home.

Leave it to Food & Wine Culinary Director Justin Chapple to share a Mad Genius Tip that would have saved me a return trip to the store that day. Not only that, but Chapple’s trick actually makes the final product look even fancier.

First, cut a sheet of parchment into five-to-six-inch squares. Then, place the squares over the holes in the muffin tin, and use the heel of a small glass to mold the paper into the indent. You may need to use your hand to maneuver this a little and really make sure the parchment holds its form, so watch how Chapple does it and you’ll be in good shape (pun intended). Then, it’s just a matter of pouring the batter in and watching your cupcakes or muffins rise. When they’ve baked, they’re not only easy to remove from the pan, but they’re also very elegant. Forgetting something at the store never looked so good.