Whether you’re cooking or baking you should always have a cooling rack on hand. It’s a necessary tool for a number of dishes from letting steak rest for a few minutes to giving those freshly baked chocolate chip cookies some time to set. But what happens when your cooling rack is in the dishwasher — or if you’ve baked a big batch and need more than one rack? Instead of resting that food on a flat surface get a little creative and use a muffin tin instead.
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 Will Reviews | 2023-09-29 16:14:48 |  737 Views |
This cooling rack is used a lot!
Cooling racks create a raised surface that allows air to flow underneath your food. This prevents condensation from forming underneath your hot food as it rests or cools meaning your seared steak or crispy cookie won’t turn out soggy. Cooling racks are usually wired; the thin metal wires are strong enough to hold your food but have enough space between them—and between the rack and the countertop—for adequate airflow. However if you’re using a muffin tin make sure to turn it upside down.
Many kitchen items have alternate uses such as a bundt pan. But to replace a cooling rack you’ll need to find a replacement that creates enough distance between the countertop and the food. Muffin cups are one of those essential baking tools you probably own and they’re perfect for this. Right side up the individual holes are about 2 inches deep so when you flip the pan over you create that much distance between the food and the surface. There’s enough surface area between the muffin holes for the food to rest with the air flowing underneath performing the same task as a cooling rack.
Cooling racks can also be used in the oven to provide airflow for roasting and since muffin cups are oven safe they will work here too. Just make sure to place the muffin cup upside down in a roasting pan (or a deep-sided pan) to catch any moisture that may drip off during cooking.
