Tip: Use an Asian Soup Spoon to Fill Muffin Cups

Over the weekend we did some baking, and at one point we had a whole tray of mini muffin cups to fill with thin batter. This is one baking task we really don't enjoy. Drips, spills, and sloppy muffin tins always ensue. This time, though, we tried a different tool, and it worked well!

Instead of using a teaspoon or serving spoon, we grabbed an Asian soup spoon to fill the cups. We love these spoons: their deep bowl and short handle are perfect for noodle soups, and we always have a set around.

It turns out they're also very good for filling muffin cups. The bowl holds batter without dripping, and the spoon tapers into a point, which made precise pouring much easier. Some drips are inevitable, of course, but they made things much neater than other spoons or ladles we've tried.

How do you fill muffin cups? Do you use a spoon? We've also used measuring cups and pitchers, but they seem to drip just as badly, and it's one more big thing to wash.

Related: Look! Better Batter Pitcher

(Images: Faith Durand)

Comments (14)

The Ziploc technique is my prefered, since it works with liquidy or thick batter.

I use an ice cream scoop, although this method admittedly works better with a thicker batter.

What is the ziploc technique? I'm assuming much like you use one for frosting/icing?

While on the topic of asian soup spoons, anyone know where to find nice ones at a reasonable price?

Yup, the ziploc is like a pipping bag, basicly. When dealing with a very liquid batter, I just pinch the openning when I'm 'traveling' to another hole (less mess!)

I've always used a ladle, but I also never make mini muffins/cupcakes. The mini-muffin tin is pretty much only used for pecan tassies, which have a thick dough so I use my fingers.

I think the best way to fill cups is a big pastry bag, especially if you're making a lot of cupcakes - it takes no time at all. The ziploc bag is a good alternative, just remember to cut the hole in the corner AFTER you've filled the bag!

@adamwa,
Poke around your local Chinatown for nice and cheap soup spoons. Grocery stores and the more rough-and-ready housewares stores will give you the most bang for your buck, though selection can be limited. Gift stores tend to have much nicer ones, but can be very overpriced.

Pour the batter in an OXO or Pyrex measuring cup.

I find the Asian soup spoons are great for making small pancakes as well. They work best for quarter-sized to 3" pancakes.

the asian spoons are the best for getting olives out of the bottom of the jar, without spilling olive juice everywhere.

Wait. It was just Soup month. Do you not own a soup ladle?

(Downside: not pointed. Upside: much easier to hold onto while dipping, and holds more.)

I discovered the ziplock technique independently while trying to find some way to fill the crazy novelty cake pans William Sonoma and other places sell now (cars, dinosaurs, etc.)

It's so much easier and faster that you would never believe it. No reaching back to the bowl, just zip zip zip done. I also tend to dribble less than with spoons, which makes cleanup a snap, and means there's less baked on drizzled to scrape off the pan when I'm done cooking.

Seriously cuts my pan-filling time in half.

The key is to use a pretty small hole, unless you've got muffins filled with chips or fruit, in which case you can make a slightly larger hole and use the pinch method to hold the tip closed when moving from cup to cup.

PS: You can also reuse the same bag if you use a nice strong freezer variety bag. When you go to fill it, just fold back the very tip and hold it shut with a really strong chip clip. When the bag is full, just unclip and go.

If you're lucky enough to have a pastry bag, I'm sure that would work too. I've just never gotten around to buying one.