A few weeks ago I ordered an Exopat silicone baking mat. I'd heard rave reviews, but was naturally suspicious that anything that looked like a slimy piece of rubber could help with baking. I gave it a try, and was totally amazed. Chocolate chip cookies came out perfect, didn't stick, and cleanup was a breeze. But that's not all.
I love candymaking, but hate it when the hot sugar sugar starts sticking to things. There is a brief window where you can pour it out of the bowl and try to spread it, but as it cools on the wooden spoon, it sticks. Boy, does it stick! You get a knife to try to get it off the spoon, and its like an old cartoon where people are getting stuck on flypaper.
So I put my silicone mat down on a cookie sheet, poured out s batch of toffee, and it flowed like cream. Then I took out my secret weapon, a silicone spatula. The hot sugar will just not stick to the silicone, so I was able to spread it out and level it like never before. It got nice and thin. After a few minutes, it was cool enough to stretch out with my fingers. All I had to do was bend the pad a little bit, and the candy came right off it.
I then baked a ham, and put a honey-sugar glaze on it at the end. This is usually a miserable mess of a task, but this time I had a silicone pastry brush to use. And it didn't stick to the brush!
My life has changed in a positive way. I got a silicone bundt cake pan for Christmas, and can't wait to try it. I've also send bread an muffin pans. I don't know how they are going to work, since they won't hold heat like glass or steel. Should be interesting.
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