Silicone baking mats are made for resisting high heat, and also to replace parchment paper. You can prepare different varieties of baked goods with silicone mats like cookies, and bread dough. Many people are confused by the baking mats’ purpose and often don’t know how to prepare their delicious cookies with them. We can help with that, and make your baking simple.
To bake cookies with a baking mat, simply replace your parchment paper with it. The silicone is made to resist high heat, and it will be suitable for an oven. You can also use a silicone baking mat when rolling your cookie dough.
Keep on reading our article to learn more tips and tricks for the best cookies using a baking mat. I will make sure to answer any additional questions you have.
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How To Make Delicious Cookies Using A Baking Mat
Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Using A Baking Mat
I thought this would be the perfect combination of me teaching you how to use a baking mat and maybe teach you a new chocolate cookie recipe. I’ve tested this recipe more than once and I must say that it is pretty tasty. This recipe is for a classic chocolate chip cookie which is my favorite type and makes a dozen cookies. From all the cookie recipes I’ve made, this is my most foolproof one.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tsp hot water
- 3 cups chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp vanilla or rum extract
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup softened butter
- 2 eggs
Cookie Baking Tools:
- Non-stick sheet mat
- Electric mixer
- SpatulaÂ
- Medium mixing bowl
- Baking tray/sheet
Preparation:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix the butter and the two types of sugar until you get a creamy substance.
- To the creamy mixture, add the eggs and the vanilla extract and beat it with a mixer. Then, add the flour and chocolate, mix well with your spatula (don’t forget to scrape out the edges). Dissolve the baking soda in warm water and also put it in the mixture and stir with the spatula.
- Now it’s time to grab your silicone mats and start forming cookies. Put the mat on your baking tray or cookie sheet and start putting about a spoonful of the cookie dough. Honestly, you can make your cookies any size you want. I use a spoonful, which makes my cookies a perfect size, not too big and not too small. Bake them for about 10 to 15 minutes in a preheated oven. Take out your fresh batch of cookies and serve them warm, with a glass of milk.
Cookie tips
- I recommend not putting any oil on the surface of your baking made because your cookies already have a decent amount of butter in them, and putting oil will make a greasy foundation, which will only result in greasy puddles all over your cookies.
Other Recipes With A Baking Mat
Macarons
Macarons are traditional French cookies made from almond flour, egg whites, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and food coloring. I have said, and I will always say that these cookies are the hardest I ever made. It requires a lot of time, patience, and nerves. The first couple of times I made them, let’s just say that it didn’t go so good, so don’t beat yourself down if you don’t get it right on the first time, it really does take practice, you just have to try couple times and get quality products.
Ingredients:
- 115 grams egg whites
- 130 grams almond flour
- 200 grams powdered sugar
- 80 grams crystal sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- A couple of drops of gel food coloring
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius
- Combine almond flour, and powdered sugar, and put them in a food processor.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites, and gradually add the granulated sugar and a pinch of salt. Beat the ingredients till you get a solid form. You can check that your form is solid by putting the bowl upside down, if the mixture doesn’t fall apart, it’s ready (this is a classic macaron technique)
- Start gradually putting the almond flour mixture, and do not forget to fold in between. Repeat this process until you’ve run out of almond flour and keep on folding until you can make an 8 figure with the mixture.
- Put your macaron dough in a piping bag.
- Take out your Silicone macaron mat, put it in a baking tray and begin to pipe out the cookies( they should be about 3 cm wide)
- This is an important part and it should never be forgotten. To let all the air bubbles from the cookies, you have to tap the baking tray five times (on a flat surface, like on a table).
- Leave the cookies to rest at room temperature for at least 20-30 minutes.
- Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes until the cookie has risen, and it doesn’t stick to the baking mat (it shouldn’t be wet underneath). Do not disturb the baking process by checking on the cookies at all times.
- After baking, allow your cookies to cool before filling them.
- Fill your cookies with chocolate sauce or buttercream.
Which Is Better Parchment Paper Or Silicone Baking Mats
Silicone Baking Mats – Nonstick
I am will be honest here, and say that I don’t like using a silicone baking mat for my cookies, and here is why. Silicone is more slippery than regular parchment paper so it allows the dough to spread much faster.
This means that your cookie dough(as every silicone pastry) will spread so much that your cookies will actually become flat and dry, and not typical, delicate cookies. Expect a slight difference in your cookie’s texture, which also changes the taste a little bit.
Parchment Paper
Although it’s wasteful to use parchment paper on a daily, I think this is the way to go when you’re baking cookies. This cellulose-based paper is also high heat resistant and leaves your cooking moist and fresh.
Now, this doesn’t mean that parchment paper won the round, there are many things that silicone baking mats can do better, like the perfect macarons, kneading fondant, etc…
Our Recommendations
Both of these gadgets are a substitute for each other and you have to have at least one in your home. One of the most important things to mind in baking is the quality of the kitchen gadgets you use. That’s why I would like to recommend some top-notch eligible items you can find on Amazon.
What Are Baking Mats Used For
Silicone baking mats are excellent parchment paper(and other baking sheets or aluminum foil)substitutes. They are made with food-grade silicon often mixed with fiberglass or fiberglass mesh and are very practical to use and reuse. Simply put your baking dough on your mat and start kneading.
You will see that your dough is easier to knead on a silicone surface because it doesn’t stick, it just easily glides through it. For actually baking your cookies or other pastries with a baking mat, the only thing you need to do is maybe put a little bit of vegetable oil or nonstick spray before putting them on the mat.
Different Ways To Use Baking Mats
- Decoration- If you’re wondering how to make perfect fondant or chocolate decorations, and not make a complete mess in your kitchen this is the way to go. There is a special silicone baking fondant mat, made especially for fondant and it comes with its own measurements, both in inches and centimeters.
- Macarons- This French dessert is one of the hardest to make, even though it requires only a few ingredients to make. So, one way to make this recipe easier is to have a special macaron baking mat so you get the right measurements and sizes for your macaron cookies.
- Making bread– This non-stick surface can save you time when making bread, pie dough, and savory pastries. For the bread, add all the ingredients required directly(first goes the flour and the eggs second)on the mat and start kneading. It’s a very smart technique if you’re sick and tired of washing so many dishes and bowls.
- Keep your dough cold- You can easily put your already kneaded dough in the freezer, or the fridge with the baking mat.
- Shaping marzipan- Marzipan is an almond paste pastry, and it’s quite similar to fondant. You can use the baking mat to knead and shape your marzipan the way you want it.
- Protects your baking pans- Keep your baking pans clean using a baking mat. I hate washing big baking trays, and usually, parchment paper can’t sustain all the oiliness and stains on the tray, unlike a silicone surface. You can use it in many baking recipes that require oil.
How To Clean Your Baking Mat
Even though it’s a food-grade silicone, cleaning your baking mat is very important because no one wants germs and bacteria, especially when you’re working with raw eggs. Luckily, there are many different ways to take care of your baking mat properly. In fact, you can take care of all your silicone kitchen products this way.
- The simple way is to clean it with some warm soapy water and a sponge, a classic method that you cannot go wrong with.
- Soak your mat in a hot water and add half a lemon juice to it. Lemon juice is known to brighten nonstick surfaces, and it’s exactly what it will do to your mats.
- A powerful method that will get rid of all the oily layers from your mat is the one with baking soda and vinegar. Make the mixture and then scrub with a sponge all over the surface. Rinse well with water. This method works well when cleaning baking trays as well.
- Also, a basic way to clean the mat is to put it in the dishwasher. Yes, silicone baking mats are also dishwasher safe and heat resistant.
Related Questions And Other FAQs
Can I Use A Silicone Mat Instead Of Parchment Paper
Yes, you can. Silicone baking mat has high heat resistance, and it is basically made to be a parchment paper substitute.
Do Silicone Mats Cause Cookies To Spread
Sadly, yes. Silicone mats are very slippery and make the cookie thin and flat. It can also be very dry instead of moist.
Do You Need To Grease A Silicone Baking Mat
In a recipe for cookies, you do not need to grease up your baking mat. However, if you’re working with sticky dough(like biscuit dough), I would advise spraying some cooking spray before.
How Do You Make Cookies On A Silicone Mat
Put cookie dough in the center and knead until you’ve reached your desired size. For actually baking with a silicone baking mat, use it like you would use parchment paper for baking.
