St. Nick? Kris Cringle? Joulupukki? Kanakaloka? Kaledu Senis? I Think We'll Stick With 'Jolly Santa'!
Written: Sep 14 '06
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Pros: Extremely cute design, variety of uses, metallic look.
Cons: No longer made by Wilton.
The Bottom Line: He's happy, he's jolly and he's full of cheer ... this is one 'Jolly Santa' you'll love to be near!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Wilton Jolly Santa Mini Bake Cup |
If I've said it once, I'll say it a million times. I wonder what the people at Wilton are thinking when they kill off a design. The 'Jolly Santa' theme was one that was not only festive but one that could be used through the entire holiday season. It was a good seller and something that people loved but they chose to discontinue it from their seasonal line up of products. When I found out that they were no longer going to make this particular design I started looking online for the mini and standard sized baking cups hoping to stock up on them. So what is it about this baking cup that made me want to buy as many as possible? The design is clean, no that doesn’t mean that there are X rated Jolly Santa baking cups out there, just that it isn't 'busy' or loaded down with a lot of imagery. The main colors are green and red but there is also some purple in there too; the entire design is on a metallic cup so this gives the whole thing a really fancy look without having to pay an arm and a leg. So, now maybe you are getting a little better of an idea of why I really love these little things … if not, read on for the rest of the details.
Jolly Santa Mini Baking Cups 415-373
First off, the metallic look of this is what makes it so nice to have for things other than cupcakes or mini muffins. I've used these to make quick chocolate covered peanuts and other treats and the presentation that you get from this is awesome. They are a little stronger than the regular paper baking cups and liners so you will be able to pack a little more into them if you are using them for something other than baking. Wilton notes that these are microwave safe but I have never used them in the microwave so I can't comment on that. I've never had the need to use these in the microwave nor has morbid curiosity gotten the best of me. They are separated by a thin piece of paper and as much as I hate to admit this, I've used these to make cupcakes and treats when I've run out in the middle of the night.
You can bake almost anything in these; mini muffins, cupcakes, tarts and more. One of the biggest advantages to this cup over others is that you don't see the grease marks on the outside of them. Plain baking cups are the worst at hiding these marks and the ones with designs do a fairly good job most of the time but if you are stressed about grease marks, go with these over the plain ones. I suggest using a specialty tart type pan when using these for baked goods, if you try to use them inside a regular cupcake or muffin pan they will spread out while baking and you will end up with a royal mess. The metallic coating does not change the baking time, at least I've never had to decrease or adjust the baking time when I've used them. If you are using them to make cold desserts or things that will need to be refrigerated, these work a lot better than the paper ones because they don't get soggy.
As far as getting the treats out of them, these are nice than paper liners. 99% of the time things pop right out when you peel the edge away from it so if you are making something messy like chocolate covered raisins or peanuts, these are a nice choice. The edges do not discolor when baking and if you like to make things and freeze them, these work perfectly. The best thing I ever made in these was mini faux tarts. Crush up some graham crackers and put them in the bottom, add a layer of cheesecake mix [or pudding], top with canned cherries and you have a quick dessert or a last minute treat for those unexpected holiday guests. Sure you can make those in a paper baking cup but when you refrigerate them, the paper will absorb some of the moisture and the crumb bottom won't be solid.
Things To Know
This cup was previously available in two sizes; the standard size cup [415-372] and the very cute mini baking cup [415-373] that could be used for a lot of different types of mini desserts. If you are going to try to find these online, it is extremely helpful to use the Wilton stock numbers so you know if you are getting the standard sized ones or the mini size. The standard sized ones come in a package of 50 while the mini are in a package of 75. Both of them had the same suggested retail price of $1.49 but since they are discontinued you may end up paying more for them since they will be in demand this holiday season. Of course, luck may be on your side. If you look at places like Jo-Anne Fabrics or Michael's you might be able to get them dirt cheap if they are trying to get rid of older stock.
The Bottom Line
Even though Wilton doesn't make these any more, they can still be found at retail stores. Granted, you are probably going to have to dig through clearance items to find them but they are still around. I really like the design of them as well as the way that they hold up if you are using them for cold treats. The design is colorful but not busy; it won’t clash with other things you may have on a dessert tray but because it has that nice metallic look to it, it will stand out from other items. I am hoping that since Wilton axed this from production that they will replace it with something else in the metallic line but only time will tell. Christmas might be a few months away but this freak isn’t taking any chances. As soon as Halloween is over, my eagle eyes will be scouring every cake and party store for more of these. You can never have too many Jolly Santa's around!
As always, thanks for the visit…
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2006 Freak369
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Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $1.49
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