Preparing Cookie Sheets for Baking

Another key to success for most cookies is lining the cookie sheet. Lining the sheet will prevent cookie bottoms from sticking, thus protecting both the cookies and the sheet from a charred mess. Use either a silicone mat or parchment paper for lining. If using parchment paper, butter the sheet first to help the parchment lie flat. Cookies with a loose dough containing beaten egg white, like Coconut or Hazelnut Macaroons, benefit from a base to help keep their shape during baking. For these cookies, German bakers commonly use Back Oblaten, edible paper-thin wafers placed under each individual cookie. The wafers come in different sizes for different types of cookies: forty, fifty, seventy, and ninety millimeters. Back Oblaten are made of flour and water, and they help to keep the cookie from sticking to the baking sheet and also provide a base so the cookie doesn’t run too flat while baking. Back Oblaten keep their integrity as they bake into the cookie and are tasteless. They can be placed directly onto the silicone baking mat or the parchment paper that lines the cookie sheet. Back Oblaten are obtainable through online German specialty stores.