Those cute little cupcake liners you see in bakeries and in Grain-Free Almond, Flax, and Chia Muffins from an earlier blog post are called “tulip” liners because their shape bears some resemblance to tulips.
Grain-free Muffins in paper tulip liners.
Yes, you can buy them but it’s much cheaper to make your own. Even the kids can make it a project. You can make as many as you want—enough for one batch of muffins or several dozen to store and use as you need.
You can also give them away as gifts. After all, who doesn’t want their muffins and cupcakes looking like they came right out of a cute little (gluten-free) French bakery?
Supplies You Need
Parchment – white or natural (unbleached)
Ruler
Scissors
6-ounce tomato paste can
Your hands and fingers
Directions
* Using scissors, cut 5 ½-inch squares of parchment paper. I use a ruler to mark squares on the parchment paper so I know exactly where to cut. (Note: some commercial tulips are 5 inches; others are 6 inches. I like 5 ½ because this size is large enough to hold the batter, but not so tall that the muffins are obscured.)
* To find the center of the square, fold it in half and in half again. Then unfold and the point where the lines intersect is the center. Make a dot on this intersection with a pencil or ballpoint pen.
Parchment paper ready to be shaped into tulip liner
*Center the dot on the parchment square on the bottom of the tomato paste can, which measures two inches—the same size as the bottom of a standard muffin pan.
* Press the parchment square down around the mold, using your fingers to press creases so it conforms to the shape of the can. I typically make about 4 to 5 creases, by trying to bring the 4 points of the parchment square as close to each other as possible. Remember, the sharper the crease, the better the liner will hold its shape. The more tulips you make, the more adept you will become.
How to Use
Place the liners in the cups of your muffin pan. There is no need to grease or coat them with cooking spray because parchment paper is already lined with silicone to prevent sticking. Now, step back and admire your creativity and ingenuity! Enjoy!
Tulip cupcake and muffin liners made from white and natural parchment paper.
Shape parchment squares around tomato paste can
