Lining Baking Pans

Lining baking pans is a convenient, easy, and helpful alternative to greasing pans. When pans are lined, the liner can easily be lifted out and peeled off of the food to easily cut them, cleaning or reusing the pan is easy, and you don’t have to worry about baked items being stuck to the pan. However, sometimes it is hard to decide what to line the pan with.
All pans are lineable, whether it be square, round, or rectangular. Pans may be lined with foil, waxed paper, parchment paper, paper or silicone liners. So how do you decide what to use to line which pans for which recipes, unless the recipe states what to use? Here are some tips to follow.

* Silicone liners can be used for just about everything. They come in many different shapes and sizes, are easy to clean, and are environmentally friendly. However, some people find that silicone leaves an unusual taste on their food.
* Parchment paper is the next best thing. Nothing sticks to it, it can withstand high temperatures, and it can easily be removed.
* Foil is best for brownies and frozen desserts. Some baked items will stick to the foil, and it will be difficult to peel off.
* Waxed paper is best used only when the recipe calls for it, or if you know by experience that it will work for a particular recipe. For example, I always use waxed paper when making a certain banana cake, as I know from experience that it works the best.
* Paper liners are best when baking muffins or cupcakes, as the fit the pan perfectly, and lining every individual cup with parchment paper is just too tedious.

PHOTO CREDIT: "Foil Lined Pan." http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1460/how-to-make-fudge.asp. Recipe Tips, n.d. Wendesday, September 28, 2011