A French baker first came up with the Silpat mat design in 1965 for better baguettes. To this day, they’re made in France, with certain mat shapes specifically designed for cookies, macarons, and layer cakes. Beyond confections, there are mats sized for the microwave, mats made circular for pizza, and mats for bread. I have the medium-sized, rectangular mat, because it fits our baking tray. It works for cookies, broccoli, potatoes, chicken, and Yule logs. Probably macarons too, if I dared attempt that. Any longer in quarantine, and I might.
They’re basically indestructible.
I should back up and explain how you use a Silpat mat. You lay it on top of your baking tray, then fill it with food, then put it all in the oven. There, you’re caught up. One benefit of the mat is that it usually collects all the baking gunk, meaning you won’t have to clean the tray. A point for laziness. Another is that it holds up through hundreds of wipe-downs in the sink or trips through the dishwasher. One time, I accidentally used it as a cutting board; the knife hardly made a mark. A year later, the razor-thin cut hasn’t degraded at all. Three (maybe four? could be five?) years after the mat joined our kitchen, only the darkened colour shows its wear.
Nothing sticks to them. I’m not kidding.
Nothing, not a damn thing, will lodge itself onto a Silpat mat, unless you burn it to an absolute crisp. Even then, it’ll take one swipe of a dish sponge to loosen it. The mats are constructed from layers of silicon and mesh fiberglass, coated with a finish that’s slightly oily to the touch, but doesn’t leave residue on your fingers. After a hundred cookie bakes, brussels sprouts roasts, and wing reheats, your can of Canola spray will have gathered dust. The roll of tin foil won’t be even a foot shorter. Using a stick of butter to grease a tray will feel downright barbaric.
SILPAT® is known around the world as the original non-stick baking liner. SILPAT® products never need greasing and replace the use of parchment paper. Utilizing SILPAT® products saves you time and money and also reduces waste in our environment. It is ideal for use when creating Danish pastries, baking biscuits, working with sugar and all sugary
and salted preparations. SILPAT® liners are made of fiberglass and food grade silicone and are completely food safe.
Nothing sticks to SILPAT®!
Benefits and Applications:
Pastry and bakery recipes requiring the use of a perforated baking sheet or an oven rack for the best results.
For preparation involving sugar work (confectionary, nougatine etc)
Heat resistant from -40 to + 280 C
No greasing needed
Can be used in all types of ovens : microwave, ventilated, deck type, steam and deep freezers.
Easy clean with a sponge and hot soapy water.
