Preparing a Baking Sheet for Cookies

Heavy baking sheets that do not buckle in the heat are important for cookies so that they do not slide together in the oven. Delicate mixtures can be protected by lining the sheet with parchment paper (grease the sheet so the paper sticks to it). Foil is less effective, conducting the heat too well to provide much insulation, but it will allow the cookies to slide more easily off the sheet in one batch. Depending on the recipe, the baking sheet or paper may be greased with butter or shortening and coated with flour. Non-stick baking sheets are particularly useful for rich cookies and wafers, and they need no preparation.