Making a cookie is like creating a work of art. And the final result depends not only on the skill and mood of the hostess but also on high-quality tools. Special confectionery forms help to create real culinary masterpieces. So, how to choose a baking dish?
Now, when two pleasant holidays await us ahead – New Year’s Eve, and after it the Orthodox Christmas, many housewives will bake cookies and other confectionery sweets to please their families. Therefore, we will talk in detail about what forms of baking are and which of them should be stopped to make the right choice.
Forms for baking – which one to choose?
The simplest version of the confectionery form is a one-piece container. They can have different shapes – be round, oval, rectangular, or multi-faceted in the form of a drop, heart, or star. There are now forms for sale in which you can get custom cookie cutters for getting different shapes for your children – figures of various animals, cartoon characters, and flowers.
In addition, baking dishes differ in size and height of the sides. Some combine two functions in one form – baking cookies and cookies. On the surface of such forms, there is often some beautiful pattern, which then decorates the confectionery.
Forms with a removable bottom are very popular. They are indispensable for confectionery made from shortcrust pastry. One such shape may have several interlocking bases, both smooth and embossed. Detachable forms are considered more convenient, which are separated from the side and opened. It is very convenient to extract ready-made cookies from them.
What are we baking on?
Forms for baking are made of tinplate, stainless steel, aluminum with a special Teflon coating, and heat-resistant glass. The question arises, which form is better to choose for baking? Objectively speaking, the material from which the form is made does not affect the result. However, there are certain differences between them.
So, if you opt for a form of tin, then their advantages are that they do not rust, but their disadvantage is a weak non-stick coating. On sale, you can find tins with a coating containing silver, which has antibacterial protection. In general, molds are the most affordable.
Teflon-coated molds are more expensive, especially if they come with a grid.
But on the other hand, this form can be used not only for baking, but also for cooking meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables.
Forms made of heat-resistant glass, porcelain, and ceramics will help you out when the cooked dish is of a loose consistency, and it is difficult to remove it intact.
Flexible forms
The latest generation of baking dishes is silicone, which is firmly established in the market and is in demand among buyers.
Affordability, ease of use, and speed of preparation are the main advantages of silicone baking molds.
The basis for the manufacture of silicone molds is a special rubber coated with silicone, or fiberglass and wool, also coated with silicone. Due to this, they are soft and elastic, which allows you to take out the prepared cookies without any problems – just turn the form inside out.
Another important factor in favor of silicone molds is saving space in the kitchen. Since they can be rolled up and put away, for example, in a desk drawer.
Perhaps the only drawback of such models is their instability. Because of this, the form must first be placed on a baking sheet or wire rack and only then filled with dough and put in the oven to bake.
Rules for using baking dishes
At the very end, some useful tips on the correct use of baking dishes:
- Aluminum non-stick baking pans are for oven cooking only. They must not be placed on the burner of a stove (gas, electric, ceramic coated).
- Metal molds must not be used for baking in the microwave.
- When washing molds with a non-stick coating, do not use wire wool, hard brushes, and abrasive detergents.
- When using the silicone mold for the first time, it is recommended to lubricate the inside with oil (in the future it will not be needed).
- Silicone molds must not be placed on an open flame or electric burner. But in the microwave, silicone has a “pass”.
- Do not cut pastries with a knife directly into a metal or silicone mold.
- Silicone is easy to clean with a soft sponge and neutral detergent or soap.
Conclusion
If you want to get the right cookies made with ease, then follow the things mentioned here to get the right cookie molds for yourself.
