Though parchment paper works well on its own, I coated mine with butter and cornmeal to make an extra-tasty sprouted wheat berry pizza crust. I don’t think the delicate crust would have made it out in one piece without the parchment paper…
This weeks Mama Monday’s post is a very simple tip for a FRUGAL (aka cheap) way to line cake tins, loaf tins, muffin pans… you name it. All you need is parchment paper and a sharp knife!
Why use parchment paper? For one thing, it can be a non-toxic form of non-stick. Gases from non-stick coatings have been known to kill birds. Even silicone mats can out-gas. The safest parchment paper is unbleached and silicone-free (you can Google or Amazon it or find it at your local Whole Foods store) . It’s on my to-buy list…
I don’t know if you’ve ever attempted to draw on parchment paper, or stick anything to it, but it doesn’t work! So if, say, you are trying to cut out a 9″ circle to fit in your cake tin, there’s no way to stencil the tin with your drawing utensil of choice. However, there is an easy solution: score it!
- Place parchment paper, curved-side up, on a clean and dry counter.
- With non-dominant hand, press cake tin or other stencil firmly onto the paper so it doesn’t slide
To make mini-muffins, I used a small teacup and a sharp knife to create ~4″ circles. Easy peasy!
- Using a (moderately) sharp knife with your dominant hand, score the paper around the tin/stencil.
- Gently separate the shape from the rest of the paper.
- Push center of circles firmly into the tin or pan and press creases into the sides.
Way cheaper than store-bought mini muffin liners and no mess (as opposed to greasing and flouring those tediously tiny cups)!
This is how the mini-muffins turned out. They look deliciously homemade: the uneven fluting along the outside gives these guys charming character to boot!
So far, I haven’t noticed any marks on my kitchen counter (I don’t recommend doing this with a razor blade or craft knife; a pair of open scissors might work if you make sure not to cut yourself) and the parchment paper templates separate beautifully, like the old paper doll books I used to play with as a girl 🙂 If you are still concerned about your counters, try using a cutting board or craft mat underneath the paper.
It is easy to line a loaf tin once you get the hang of it: center a large rectangle over the opening. Position fore-fingers and thumbs over the four inner corners of the loaf tin and push paper down. Using one hand to hold each corner down, pull up on the paper that sticks out the tallest and fold it over or to one side (whatever sticks). Trim edges so they don’t brown too quickly in the oven.
Even with my non-stick loaf pan, I use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil primarily to avoid aluminum-poisoning. In fact, I use parchment paper to line all my non-stick bakeware (which I am hoping to replace one day with stainless steel and cast iron; until then, parchment paper is my buffer between toxic gases and my baked goods! )
Hearty Helping of Hope! Right choice: use unbleached and silicon-free parchment paper to line cake tins/muffin pans AND as a replacement for nonstick coatings, silicone mats, and foil. Bright future: easy baking and better health by reduced exposure to toxic Chlorine DBPs, PFOA, and aluminum…and also more money in the bank from using a cheap and unique way to bake your one-of-a-kind creations 🙂
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