Multiple-Use Mini Muffin Pan

Today we're going to look at a silicone mini muffin pan from Grazia that I used to make several different types of treats to see just how versatile it is.  This included a treat that needed to be chilled, one that simply cooled at room temperature, and one that went into the oven.  I tried all of these treats in both the Grazia silicone mini muffin pan I was sent to test and reveal to you all as well as with some metal mini muffin pans I already had on hand.  This way I can test how the Grazia pan reacts to different temperatures but also compare it to the metal version of the same style of pan.  Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

The room temp treat was in the form of Chocolate Marshmallow Cheerio Rounds, I'll share the recipe in a different feature in the future.  Using the Grazia silicone pan made it easy to shape and remove the treats, the regular metal mini muffin pan required a utensil a few times or at least a vigorous shaking.  Using the silicone was easier but frankly just spooning them on wax paper or spreading the cereal treats in a pan to cut up later is even easier.  The silicone mini muffin pan held up well in room temps and for the refrigerated part of the test.

The oven treat was from a pouch, a chocolate chip muffin mix from Martha White, so no recipe to share with you all.  I made the Grazia pan plus a regular mini muffin metal pan to compare and this is where  I saw the greatest difference between silicone and metal pans.  I used the same amount of oil in each and the mini muffins popped out equally easily.  The metal pan required -2 minutes less to cook than the lowest recommended time on the mix; the silicone pan required the max time on the directions.  The max temp for the Grazia silicone muffin pan 450°F but this muffin mix used 425°F and I followed the pan's directions and placed it on a regular cookie sheet which may have contributed to the slower baking times. The final product tasted the same but the metal pan produced taller and lighter on the bottom muffins while the silicone one created wider and darker on the bottom treats. NOTE: Cupcakes require a lot of oiling of the pan to come out very clean; I can't recommend that use of it.

Finally I made a cold treat using the muffin pan as portion control and shaping device.  You'll note that these look messy but that isn't the Grazia pan fault. Putting the fudge on the bottom didn't work very well so I'll try this agree and update in the future when I have some more ice cream to layer.  The silicone did great in the freezer and made popping out the mini sundaes very easy, didn't require any utensils at all something that a metal pan could not have matched

The silicone mini muffin pan from Grazia required oil every time but then so too does my regular mini muffin pan or the use of liners unless I want whatever I'm making to stick. This required no extra work really but is something you should know if you are also spoiled by your dishwashing machine like my husband.  He tried this pan in the dishwasher, the product is reported to be dishwasher safe, and I can report that it washed very well in the machine but did require a bit of care taking out since water tended to gather in the small lip though not nearly as much as the metal pan. Silicone is great for creations you want to be able to pop out quickly because the pan is flexible and cools down more quickly than metal.  I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.