Gorgeous cookies!
Great icing tips, thanks. Thanks Shelby for your historic info. I am old school and I like parchment paper personally, but silicone mats are recyclable which is a plus and they do a great job. I hope people get the baking bug, it's a wonderful Life skill....and fun & tasty too!
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"Always bake cookies on a silicone mat or parchment" Seriously? Until relatively recently, silicon mats didn't even exist. Somehow generations of bakers, stretching back over time, managed to turn out excellent cookie without silicone mats or parchment paper.
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@Roald Parchment paper was technically invented in 3000 BC, by Egyptians. It was eventually reformulated for baking. As for silicon mats they were invented for baking in 1965 or 53 years ago. You are correct about them being more recent inventions to assist bakers, but for being around more than 50 years I believe they have earned their credit in the baking community. As for parchment paper has been around for technically more than 5000 years. Bakers have been using it for almost ever. So yes you can bake without these bonus items and have great cookies. But why would you when you could have a higher chance of a perfect cookie with them?
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@Shelby, If only the writer had said "ideally " rather than the rigid instruction "always" bake cookies...
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@joan Thanks for the information Shelby! I'm sorry that Joan and Roald take things so literal. When I read an article for tips or tricks I tend to understand that "always" means that is a easier or the ideal way to do it. I don't think our friends quite get that.
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