These products were given to us as free samples and for the purpose of doing a review. All opinions are our own.

The leaves have started to fall and we all feel a chill in the air. Well. at least if you live in New England and thereabouts, where you see evidence of fall everywhere. I love this time of year – the gorgeous hues of yellows, reds and oranges everywhere replacing the monochromatic color of summer, fashionable sweaters and scarves galore and luxurious autumn food, glorious food! After a few months of not wanting to ever turn on the oven because of the summer heat, I am really excited to be doing more cooking and baking in perfectly agreeable temperature! Hurrah for fall baking season!



When a representative of Silpat contacted me to do a product review of Silpat, I didn’t have any second thoughts at all. It’s baking season after all and the Silpat is a baker’s best friend in the kitchen. I was more than happy to try it.

Silpat® is the original non-stick baking mat used by professional chefs all over the world. In fact, the first time I ever saw Silpat® was on the tv show Chopped and, ever since, I have always wanted to try it in my own kitchen seeing how versatile and useful it is. I love that when you use it for baking (yes, both savory and sweet), it eliminates the use of parchment paper and there’s absolutely no need to butter or grease its surface as it’s naturally non-stick. Love that you save money in the long run because of that. With a perfectly non-stick surface, baking and removing anything you bake on it is simply a breeze. Clean-up is super-easy, too; elbow grease unnecessary!

 Easy-peasy baking with Silpat®. 

Silpat® is made of fiberglass mesh and the highest quality food grade silicone, which provides consistent heat distribution and promotes even baking and browning. It also conforms to US regulations on food grade silicone, and are FDA, NSF, and Kosher certified. It is also freezer, microwave, and oven-safe; and, can be used at temperatures varying from -40 degrees C to 250 degrees C (-40 degrees F to 500 degrees F). Pretty impressive!

To know if it really works, I have personally tried and tested Silpat®. Not just once but a few times already. I use it mostly for baking sweets, like cookies, but you can certainly use it for any baking which requires a shallow pan or mat and it fits a 13″ x 18″ pan or baking sheet. And since, it’s literally just a few more weeks before the holidays, you would totally love having this when you bake goodies for everyone at Christmas time! 

Here are just a couple sample of the cookies I have baked with Silpat®. I have made a few more.

CRANBERRY OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

NUTELLA CHOCO CHUNK COOKIES

Just a few days ago, after I received the new Silpat®, I decided to make some cookies for the kiddies. This recipe for chocolate chip cookies comes from the New York Times and is pretty popular and I have been dying to try it. Receiving the Silpat® finally gave me the chance to do it! I didn’t have any chocolate chunks so I used the chocolate chips available in my pantry. My kids (and me, too) loved the flavor – and the cookies were aptly described in the article as the “right mix of chewy and crisp.”   I suggest, if you want these chewier, you need to underbake by a couple of minutes and I will do that for next time. Anyway, these are delicious cookies that I highly recommend, too. 

And when you have friends over, certainly serve your freshly-baked goods in this gorgeous platter by Le Creuset. Love this color which matches one of my baking dishes. It is available in other colors, too.

Credit for the recipe goes to the NEW YORK TIMES. Original recipe here.

Quintessential Chocolate Chip Cookies

By: New York Times (Martha Rose Shulman)
Published: 10/21/2016

Loaded with chocolaty goodness and with just the right mix of chewy and crisp, you will be making these Chocolate Chip Cookies over and over again.

Ingredients

• 185 grams all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 grams baking soda (1/2 teaspoon)
• 115 grams butter (4 ounces/1 stick)
• 100 grams sugar (1/2 cup)
• 80 grams light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
• 2 grams salt (1/4 teaspoon)
• 1 egg
• 5 grams vanilla (1 teaspoon)
• 225 grams bittersweet chocolate (8 ounces), cut in 1-inch pieces (or use coins)

Instructions

1. Sift together flour and baking soda and set aside. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until lemony yellow, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and paddle. Add sugar, brown sugar and salt. Continue creaming mixture on medium speed until it is smooth and lump free, about 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl and paddle.
2. Add egg and vanilla and beat on low speed for 15 seconds, or until they are fully incorporated. Do not over-beat. Scrape down sides of bowl and paddle.
3. On low speed, add sifted flour mixture. Beat slowly until all of the flour is incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add chocolate chunks and mix in.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees with the rack positioned in the lower third of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Spoon heaping teaspoons of dough 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. If not baking right away, remove small handfuls or spoonfuls of dough from mixer and plop them down on the middle of a sheet of parchment or wax paper, creating a log about 1 1/2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Fold parchment over, creating a sausage. Chill for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Using a serrated knife, slice chilled dough into 1/3-inch-thick rounds and place them 2 inches apart, in staggered rows, on parchment-lined sheets and proceed. (Dough will keep nicely, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen dough at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing.)
5. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned, rotating the baking sheet front to back halfway through. Remove from heat and slide parchment off baking sheet and onto a work surface. Allow cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving, or for at least 20 minutes before storing in an airtight container. They will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Yield: 3 dozen plus a few more
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 12 mins. per batch
Total time: 32 mins.
Tags: Desserts, Sweets, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Easy, Recipe, American

Last updated on September 30th, 2019 at 04:09 pm