Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The Wonders of Parchment Paper

A few weeks ago, I needed to make six dozen cookies. But not six dozen of one type of cookie. I wanted to make two dozen each of three types of cookies. (It was the only dessert I was serving to company, so I wanted to have a variety.) Also, I needed to bake them very quickly! I accomplished this in less than an hour. From start to finish, making three types of cookie dough and getting six dozen cookies baked, 2 dozen at a time. How'd I do that???

Parchment Paper!

My mom had been using parchment paper for awhile, but I thought it would just be an added expense. Then I noticed that a 30 foot roll was only $1.99. I bought a roll, put it in my kitchen drawer and forgot about it...until the six dozen cookie marathon day. ;-) Wow! It made cookie baking so efficient! I lined two cookies sheets with parchment paper, made the chocolate chip cookie dough and put two dozen in to bake. While they were baking I made the oatmeal cookie dough and got the dough rolled out and placed on more parchment paper on the counter. When the first batch came out I immediately slid the cookies on the parchment paper onto the counter to cool instead of leaving them on the cookie sheets. Then I just slid the prepared oatmeal cookies on parchment paper onto the cookie sheets and popped them in the oven. Did you follow? I did the same thing with the third batch of dough. I was constantly working, never waiting on cookie sheets in the oven or cookie sheets that were cooling. Very speedy! And clean up? With parchment paper there isn't any! ;-) I'm sold!

Have you ever used parchment paper? What did you think?