Day brunch assignment for those family members nal muffin flavors were
who don’t know a pot holder from a plant stand. blueberry, banana nut, dou-
Costco’s
Sue McConnaha
Shares the
Costco Muffin Story
Costco muffins—quick breads baked in a 286 bakeries, 715 ovens and
cup-shaped mold—are the perfect Mother’s 4, 100 bakers. Costco’s origi-
Sue McConnaha, vice president of Costco ble chocolate chip, almond
bakery operations, whose stamp of approval has poppy, raisin bran and carrot. Four of the origi-been on each bakery item since the department’s nals—blueberry, banana nut, double chocolate
inception in June 1987, reports, “The first Costco chip and almond poppy—are still in the family,
muffin was hand-dropped into a jumbo muffin tin along with the current additions of apple crumb,
designed to hold 15 extra-large muffins. The muffins lemon-filled and corn.
were such an instant success that for the first year, Staying true to the formula, Costco muffins are
some of Costco’s current executive and senior vice baked fresh daily by Costco bakers and made with
presidents helped us hand-drop them into the pans the best ingredients from around the world.
each morning.” While it’s hard not to eat the entire box of
Since that time, Sue has overseen the growth of fresh muffins in one sitting, they can be frozen
the Costco Bakery program, which now includes individually in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
To enjoy again, defrost overnight or place frozen
muffins in a preheated 380°F oven for 15 minutes.
Costco muffins are available in packs of 12 in
either a variety of flavors or just your single personal choice. While once considered only breakfast
or teatime treats, muffins are now served with
lunch or dinner and also work well for picnics,
lunch boxes or traveling snacks.
Finally, as you sit down and enjoy a
Costco muffin, think about this: It would
take 11,333 days for one Costco oven,
baking 360 muffins per cycle, to cook all
of the muffins sold annually in Costco
bakeries in the United States!
Costco’s Sue McConnaha
has some creative ideas
for using your muffins in
other recipes:
• Place half of a banana
nut muffin in a bowl,
add a scoop of Kirkland
Signature Vanilla Ice
Cream and drizzle it with
butterscotch topping and
chopped walnuts.
• Chop up two double
chocolate chip muffins
and fold into your favorite
brownie batter.
• Layer cubes of almond
poppy muffin with fresh
custard and whipped
cream for a great parfait.
• Slicetwoblueberrymuffins
and use in your favorite
bread pudding recipe.
• Slice the lemon-filled
muffin in 1/2-inch slices
and top with sliced
fresh fruit.
