It's 'Take-A-Peek' Tuesday!!!
I'm going to talk about something incredibly unglamorous today...
the humble cookie sheet.
Would you mind if I gave you a little backstory here?
For years and years I worked at Williams Sonoma.
(loved every minute by-the-way)
While I was there, I did almost every job there was:
greeting at the door, training new employees, shipping and receiving, inventory,
money stuff, opening a brand new store,
watching over the 'brand-new-not-even-open-yet-store' as it flooded from the store next door....
(Hi Camille!)
These years also left me with a pretty seriously equipped kitchen.
You name a kitchen tool, I've probably tried it and more than likely own one.
Why was I telling you this?
Oh right, cookie sheets!
I've tried them all....seriously, not kidding.
Even the million dollar All-Clad golden kind.
Here are the ones that earned a spot in my cabinet.
On the far left are the 'others'.
They're....fine.
Nothing really wrong with them, I just don't bake cookies on them.
Some are really thin, some are too dark, some are super heavy, but don't have edges and I use them
for one particular type of cookie...and frozen pizza.
There's also a pizza stone that I don't recall using or buying but can't seem to part with.
My BFFs are in the middle.
Let's discuss...
Generally I will always choose a non-coated cookie sheet.
The non-stick surfaces just complicate matters.
They can get scratched, then flake and can be hard to clean.
A silicone liner or parchment paper will always give you better results
if you're concerned about sticking and cleaning.
However...they look a heck of a lot better in photos, so I have a few of those.
A lighter color will heat more evenly.
(y'know how the cake mix box tells you to turn down your oven if you use a dark pan?)
A thick bottom is crucial.
CRUCIAL!!!!
Just like a heavy pan will do a better job on your stovetop,
a thick cookie sheet will heat more evenly, stay flat and have less or no warping.
How heavy?
If you're holding it one hand and your wrist is straining a bit, that's a good sign.
The rolled edges are a good too.
Less warping, very durable, easier to hold.
For me, high sides are a must.
There are a bunch of reasons having to do
with air circulation in your oven and all that...
but let's be honest.
You only have to watch all your cookies slide off your pan
onto the floor once to understand why.
Alright...now I know there are a few people out there wondering about insulated cookie sheets,
and I'm sure some of you swear by them and they are the only thing you use.
I don't like them.
I don't.
Not even a little.
That's just the way it is.
You can find my favorites in lots of places.
Sometimes they're called Half-Sheet pans or Jelly-Roll Pans.
Karen's Cookies
Amazon
Williams-Sonoma
Sur La Table
After aaaaaaaall that,
here's the real reason I know that these are the very best in the whole wide world.
My mother-in-law won't use any other kind.
'nuff said.
Next week we'll chat about those liners!
