Cookie Sheet Rant

I recently bought two different brands of cookie sheets.  Both brands are non-stick pans.
The first is a set from Target made by Wilton, the infamous cake decorating company.  These were  $14.99 for a set of two and carried a 15 year guarantee.
The other sheet I bought for $5 bucks at Tuesday Morning, it's guaranteed by Good Housekeeping Institute.

Last week I made butter cookies using both sheets.  Keep in mind, my oven is only 10 months old. The cookies were placed in the middle of the oven and the bottoms browned so deep they almost turned black before I pulled them out.
The inside of the cookies were not baked completely.  The sheet recommended by the Good Housekeeping Institute began to twist and warp in the oven and then settled back to its normal shape when it cooled down again. 

This morning I made cinnamon rolls from Pillsbury using both types of cookies sheets.  Once again, the bottoms burned, some of the rolls were charred. I followed the Pillsbury recommendation of baking at 375' for 11 minutes. We had to saw the black stuff off with a serrated knife.

I am not a happy camper.

These are going back to the store and I'll take a look at the stainless steel pans and the Air Bake brand that FC at PureFlorida suggested.   All this hassle at this time of the year!   

Comments

[CircusKelli]

Happy Sunday, Laura!

I forget where I bought the pans I use as cookie sheets. They're not the thin cookie sheets, and they come up about a half inch on the sides. They work pretty well.

As for the cinnamon rolls, I've made them many many many many times... they cook best in the clear glass pyrex cake pan I use. I love me some cinnamon rolls... with lots and lots and lots of icing...

[mom]

My stainless steel pans are great. Have you checked to make sure the temperature in the oven is correctly set?

[Nils]

I also always use glass pyrex casseroles for my cinnamon rolls, but I know lots of people who use cookie sheets. It's a personal thing. I don't much enjoy cleaning my oven, and I like things sticky and gooey ... the high sides make sure everything stays where it should.

I'm not suggesting in any way that there was a cooking miscalculation, but was this a new recipe? Had it come out perfectly on the old cookie sheets? I find any time I try a new recipe or change cooking surfaces (including starting over with a new sheet or pan or dish), I have to recalculate temps to match the new conditions.

My default is to start low - say, 325, 350 ... and only slide up if that's not getting the job done. My rationale - kids will eat cookie dough raw, but won't touch a cookie that is browned even just a shade too dark for their sensitive (read: picky) palates.

The warping, though? Inexcusable.

That said, it sounds like a legitimate beef. I wouldn't even know what to recommend. My cookie sheets are 30 years old, designed and made by my father-in-law in his company's metal fabricating shop, and I'm spoiled for life.

If I know you, you'll keep going till you get it perfect. And hey, mistakes - by the cookie sheet manufacturer, by the God Housekeeping Institute, or even by the baker - all taste delicious!

[GUYK]

You might want to stick a thermomenter in your oven to be sure your thermostat is working and keeping it at an even temperature..that sounds to me like the oven was hotter than you thought it was..I have had the problem more than once..

[Laura]

I'll recheck the oven temperature. Thanks for your suggestions! The cookie recipes were tried and true and came out great in my old oven, with my old cookies sheets which I can't find anymore.

Kelly and Nils, I'll use the Pyrex pans next time. I think i've used that before, but thought i'd try them on the cookie sheets since I had to make two packages for Britt's friends and needed more room than the pyrex pan would allow. Sometimes I group them all together in "monkeybread" fashion, which would have given me room this time, but thought i'd just try the sheets out instead.
Anyway, I'll give the oven temp a recheck with the temp guage and see how the sheets work out then.
Thanks!

[Seamus]

We've used a couple of double walled sheets for years and love 'em. I just looked to see the brand and it's not on there - just the patent number.

[Tammy~Kentucky Gal]

I'm wondering if your oven is set correctly?? I mean have you checked it, I would before I would make any more investment in pans...
:-D

[catybug]

Okay you can come back to thesmillyfamily.com now!

[Leanne]

My daughter, the commentbeggergirl.

what a hoot.

The cookies - well, I have a new(er) oven, and my temp seems to be low, so I have to leave mine in a few minutes longer than any recipe calls for, regardless of the pan. Maybe your oven is so efficient, you can knock off a few minutes from your recipes? Maybe if it's a fancy oven the temp needs to be re-calibrated or some funky thing? Especially if the centers aren't cooked through.

Did those cookies ever work out for you?

[Terri]

And here I thought it was "me" all this time....it's the foolish cookie sheets. I must say though, I used a new teflon one today for all my cookies...and they were cooked to perfection. (Got the cookie sheet at Dollar General..lol)
Will be making that eggnog cake this week and I did get vanilla pudding for it....so I'll let you know on that.

[FloridaCracker]

A-I-R B-A-K-E.

[Deana]

I have gotten so used to putting everything like that on the baking stone that I rarely pull out my cookie sheets anymore. But that sucks and I would be upset too.

[Colleen]

I use one of those baking stones. It looks disgusting, but it works great.

I've got two blogs focusing on Tampa and Florida - any interest in a link exchange?

[Sara Sue]

I too, use a baking stone. <--2 cents

I feel so badly for you, Laura. I know how much you love to bake this time of year. Hope it all works out and you're back to elfing it up soon!

[Laura]

Seamus, forget that, just send me the sheets. (g)

It's probably my oven, however. we'll see.

Leanne, it's a Sears Kenmore. I haven't yet made the cookies but will very soon. Your eggnog cookied DOUGH was very tasty, LOL!
We drank up all the eggnog so that was a problem too. (g).

Terri, Dollar General, here I come.
Let me know how the cake turns out!

FC, do you have a problem with water getting stuck inside the pans? Someone told me if the water gets stuck in there, it won't bake properly. I kinda like my cookie sheets to be on the low maintenance side ;)

I was about to ask Deana about her baking stone. While typing this reply, both Colleen and Sara pitched in with their 2 cents. Sounds like it's time to check them out!

And Colleen, yes! I'll be over to check out the link, thanks.

[Laura]

Meanwhile, Britt is bugging me to go make Brickle.
I'm off to turn on the oven and ... let's see how it handles sticky toffee and chocolate chips.
It better go well, because of all the recipes, this one is my all time favorite. Come back in 3o minutes!!! I'll think I'll take pics. Britt is getting impatient...

[BRITTANY]

CCCCCCCOOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS
=D
Can't wait!
My mom makes THE BEST Brickle!=)

[MrsDoF]

Looks to me that your oven needs to be calibrated. My stove is here one year this week (I got it for last Christmas, so I know about something new during stressful time).
The delivery guys dinked around with the settings, but after a week, I actually read the Instructions and put a thermometer inside and got everything together.

My cookie sheets were a wedding gift 26 years ago. Steel, but marked up and seasoned well.
With certain recipes, I use parchment paper to ease the brown bottoms.

For the cinnamon rolls, I use a ceramic flan pan I bought at a yard sale.

[Florida Cracker]

Okay, at the risk of getting kicked out of the Testosterone Club, here's my final baking advice regarding Airbake products.
We have not had any problem with water, because (again, my TC membership may be at risk here...) I actually READ the instructions. I know, it's weird.
Just don't submerse them.
And even if you do ... like someone here in the Estrogen Club once did ... you just put them in the oven on a low bake to gently remove the dihydrogen monoxide.

The round Airbake insulated cake pans are really great, but apparently they discontinued them.
Good luck with your baking with whatever you choose!

[Laura]

Thanks Mrs. DoF. we're going to have to call Sears, there are a few other problems with it also. Probably does need to be recalibrated as well.

FC... All right, when Airbake goes on sale, I'll give 'em a shot. By the way, you just made Emeril, Tyler Florence, Michael Chiarello, Mario Batali and Alton Brown VERY proud. I doubt anyone would question their Testosteron levels... they'd be too busy wolfing down their dishes instead!
(can you tell I watch the food network religiously?)

On that note, to all readers: I've always felt the kitchen was a real good place for a man. (g) A man who can Cook? PRICELESS!

and my brickle is chillin in the fridge as I type...
I was thinking, it's not a good dessert to make with very young kids because of the boiling butter/sugar (or Toffee) combination and because they really can't lick the pan!

Britt helped tonight, and they're both eating it, even though they're supposed to wait 4 hours for it to chill. They only let it chill for 30 minutes.

I've ordered it out of the house tomorrow, hub's taking some to work and the girls are taking some of it to school. I can't be trusted to be left alone with that stuff. Not no way, no how.