Muffin peaks

A reader has asked: How can I get my muffins to have a nice peak at the top? They always seem to come out flat.

A: Muffins sometimes bake flat because the oven temperature is too low. Start your next batch at 400 degrees and make sure the pans are not under-filled. Sometimes the only adjustment necessary is to fill the cavities in the muffin pans with a little more batter. Butter the top surface of the muffin pan to make sure the tops don’t stick there if they spread a little while rising.