Bake Your Cookies On Parchment Paper For The Easiest Clean Up

Rolling up your sleeves and getting down and dirty in the kitchen to make a batch of cookies can be a fun way to spend an afternoon, whether you're doing it alone or getting friends and family involved. What's not so fun, however, is the cleanup that comes after all is said and done. 

While most people do their cookie baking on greased (or sometimes greased and floured) baking sheets, there's actually an easier option: Using parchment paper. Parchment paper is a type of paper that's both heat resistant and safe for use with food products. This paper can withstand temperatures up to about 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Since most baked goods only require an oven heated to between 350 and 400 degrees, that makes it ideal for holding up to hot temperatures.

It's also non-stick and grease-resistant. That means you can pop a sheet of it onto the baking tray and spoon your cookie dough out as usual. This saves the hassle of greasing your tray and also makes cleaning far easier; when you're finished baking, just throw the parchment paper out! There's no need to scrub your cookie sheet to make it shine and spend extra time in the kitchen. Instead, get out there and start munching on your hot batch of cookies. 

When you use parchment paper for baking, there are a couple of caveats to be aware of. For one thing, although it can make cleanup easier, sometimes grease can still seep through cracks or folds in the paper and wind up on your baking tray. So, although you may not need to scrub off bits of cookie dough that have baked onto it, you still may need to give it a quick rinse or wipe down to ensure it's clean and ready for next time.

Another thing to be aware of is that parchment paper doesn't always come pre-cut. Sometimes, you can pick up handy packs of square or rectangular sheets, but other times you purchase it in a roll. When that happens, you'll need to trim it down to size so that it fits on your baking sheet. If the paper is folding or curling and not laying flat, you can always use metal binder clips to keep it in place.

Finally, it pays to be aware that parchment paper can actually be reused a few times before you have to toss it in the bin. The paper will turn a darker color, but until the edges start breaking and tearing, you can keep using the paper. Just wipe it down with a damp towel and store it somewhere with good airflow until the next time you want to bake cookies.

When you head to the grocery store to purchase a roll of this product to make your baking cleanup easier, you may find it sitting next to another kind of paper: wax paper. Although these two look similar, parchment paper and wax paper are not the same. Wax paper is non-stick, but it isn't heat resistant. If you bake with it, you could wind up with a kitchen fire on your hands!

If you need a parchment paper substitute, however, there are still a few options out there that can keep your trays clean and avoid you doing dishes when the day is over. One choice is to use silicon baking mats, which are reusable, non-stick sheets for lining your baking pans. When you're done using them, you can pop them in the dishwasher.

Another option is to use aluminum foil. Just remember that aluminum foil can wind up leading to scorched bottoms on your cookies, so be careful what you use it for. Still, with these tricks, you've got plenty of options for avoiding excess washing up and making your cookie-baking cleanup easier than ever!