There is no guarantee that great ingredients will make your cookie recipe a hit with you're family if you overlook the most important tool of the trade: the cookie sheet. Years ago, kitchens were equipped with only one choice of cookie sheet when it came to baking cookies. Luckily today's technology has opened up a whole new world of possibilities to help us bake the perfect cookie.
Single layer cookie sheets are still a favorite of many serious bakers, but there are certainly the good and bad out there. Two problems that single layer sheets cause uneven heating and sticking. In part, improvements over the years have made single layer cookie sheets better in both areas. The invention of Teflon brought us non-stick cookware. Although this has made sticking occur less often, it is not guaranteed. Cheaper brands of non-stick baking sheets will usually lose their coating quicker and eventually peel, leaving baked items sticking more often to the sheet. Modern aluminum cookie sheets have also solved the problem of uneven heating. One catch with using an aluminum non-stick cookie sheet is the color. Over baked cookie bottoms is a common occurrence when using darker sheets, because the darker color absorbs more heat than with lighter colored sheets. So if you should decide to go the rout of the single layer cookie sheet, look for a brand name you can trust, and a non-stick sheet that is lighter in color.
Air cushion baking sheets grew in popularity a few years back because they were seen as the cure to the single layer cookie sheet problems. Dual layered sheets allow air to better circulate under the cookie-baking surface, thus reducing hotspots and resulting in evenly baked cookies all across the sheet, not just in the middle. There are some issues to note when using these sheets. Sticking can still be a problem, depending on how well the sheet is made and if it is covered with a non-stick coating. Also, although you get consistent heat throughout the sheet you might not get hot enough heat. This will cause refrigerated cookies to cook a little slower and thus spread out more. As a result, drop cookies might not entirely brown around the edges. After the first batch is baked, adjustments might need to be made to improve the outcome.
Baking Stones have become popular over the last few years for good reasons. These stones heat evenly and absorb moisture at the same time. The result is a cookie that crisps nicely on the underside without over darkening. Baking stones are very forgiving when it comes to over baking, and sticking is usually minimal. If there are any drawbacks to the baking stone, it is that they can be expensive, and because of their weight a bit clumsy in the kitchen.
Parchment Paper is a cheap, convenient, cookie baking aid that every kitchen should have. Parchment paper is coated on each side, usually with silicone, and comes in square sheets or on a roll like wax paper. Parchment paper will allow most baked cookies to lift off the baking surface with ease, and will also help spread out heat more evenly. One additional benefit is that you can reuse a sheet several times when you are making multiple batches of cookies.
Equipping yourself with the right cookie sheet will surely make you a hero when baking for the family. Although Fido might be disappointed that his portion of baked miscues are gone.
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