Sil-pad, silicone sheet, rubber non-stick mat….this miraculous little wonder goes by many names. But whatever you call it, this invaluable tool is a must-have in every baker’s confectionary arsenal. With this sheet of silicone, you’ll never need to grease a baking sheet again, nor waste copious amounts of baking parchment. I find it is also great as an insulator when baking the more sensitive cookies, such as shortbread and sugar cookies. They will not burn on the bottoms as readily (as opposed to being baked directly on the sheet).
These non-stick mats are readily available nowadays and can range in pricing from $10 – $50, depending on the size and manufacturer. My recommendation for the home cook is that you find a size that will fit onto the baking sheet without any overhang or buckling – a good standard size is 16 x 11.5 inches. You ideally need two, seeing as how you can only bake one sheet of cookies at a time, so while one sheet is baking, you can prepare the second. (Unless you have double ovens, then that’s another story…)
Needless to say, I love, love, love, these things. Oh, and don’t get me started on how much easier the clean up is! Wasn’t that easy? How ingenious!
I'm Not A Cook 