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If a kitchen object were ever to feature in SEX, this would be it. I’m not talking about the hot sweaty act but the (in)famous shop on the Kings road in London. The one that was run by designer Vivienne Westwood and pop Svengali Malcolm McLaren about the same time he launched the Sex Pistols.
I don’t suppose many readers would have visited Sex. As a teenager I was lucky enough to. I didn’t have the cash for bondage pants, anything decorated with lavatory chains or those fancy BDSM outfits made out of shiny rubber.
As we celebrate 30 years since the Sex Pistols swore and gobbed themselves around the country I do have a bit more cash. Enough to buy this kitchen object, not rubber, but a silicon muffin pan. In the 30 months I have owned this object, it has brought a revolution to my cooking.
No longer do I spend hours greasing tins and cutting small circles of baking paper that sit in the bottom of baking tins.
Splat, I just plop whatever concoction is my cooking fad this week into the object, slip it into the oven and, once cool, slide out my whatever it is. No sticking, no broken corners, Perfectomundo.
Think muffins, small soufflés, panacotta (loads of it) and this thing does the job.
Food fascist
1. Keep sharp objects (even safety pins) away from the silicon
2. Place it on a metal tray in the oven
3. It does smell
4. This one cost $70 but the price is coming down with popularity
Popularity: 7% [?]
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
What does it smell of and does the food taste any different to when its cooked in conventional pans? Is it going to be like microwaving with glad wrap and find out later it’s carcinogenic? (I don’t expect you to answer the last question, it’s just my suspicious mind talking)
It smells sort of rubbery. But no fear Silica is actuallly a fairly benign chemical. On a differnt planet it sould be a viable alternative to carbon as one of the building blocks of life. There again I don’t know what other nasties are added although I do try an avoid those very small micro waves.
I have been considering getting one. What I have been wondering about is browning, I have heard they don’t brown nearly as well. But if you use it for pannacotta it just wouldn’t matter
Hey, I just wrote about these on my blog, great minds thinking alike and all of that!! They’re great for making what I call “egg muffins” and some people call mini-frittatas. The cooked eggs just pop right out. I don’t understand Australian money vs. U.S. dollars, but I found the 6 cup size for only $6.00 U.S. here. (Of course I’m quite a dedicated bargain hunter. You can pay more for them.)
Kalyn, sadly as I noted with the grater we get ripped off here on prices. There are about 0.75 cents (US) to the $1AUD. That means it csts about US$100! It was a couple of years ago that I bought it andI think they are about half the price now..they are brilliat though arne’t they.
Clare, good poit but I hadn’t really noticed the problem.
Have you seen the silicon oven mitts? I was given the sales pitch that there is no heat transfer like you normally get with cotton / poly oven mitts but I’m a bit sceptical.
Oh, and I’ve seen a lot of cheaper versions in Myer and David Jones. I picked up a bread loaf one for $10. (Bring on Mothers Day so I can go discount kitchenware shopping!) Tupperware have also released a range of silicon bakeware - not sure on their pricing though.
M, I’ve seen the Mitts. I thought they may be pretty god - no more burns from the wet fabric oven mitt. $10 - bargan. I think my one might be heavy duty - ibought from one of those cheffy shops I hang out in.
now you’ve made me go out and buy a silicon mini muffin/cupcake pan.
Sorry about that Cin. I’ve started experimenting and made mini Pavlova’s in mine last night. If they work I’ll post it.
I was gifted some of these a couple of years ago by some jet-setting family members. At first I was very sceptical too and only tried jellies in them, which unfortunately stuck and wouldn’t release from the moulds nicely, so not too sure about trying pannacotta.
I’ve since had great success with muffins and baked goods though and I’m on the hunt to find some madeleine shaped moulds now. Tricky with the limited cookware shopping avaliable in my neck of the woods!
I’ve seen madeleine moulds at The Essential Ingredient at Prahran. I’ve just baked Pavlova in mine and they came out. I may experiment with jelly or Pannacotta - perhaps dipping it in hot water first. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I have been to SEX in those GLORIOUS YEARS! Just wanted to tell you…
Cool Ilva, did you buy anything. I wanted bondage trousers more than anything else. PS: Sorry my Spam filter was a little aggressive with you comment.
It also goes into the freezer! I’ve been using mine to divy up sauces and casseroles and such into manageable lunchbox sizes. I don’t think I’ve gone direct from oven to freezer, though, and that would probably be quite silly.