Baking sheets and cooling racks

This section looks at how to choose your baking sheets and cooling racks.
The final stage of producing your sugar cookies is the oven baking. This section looks at the tools you should use to get your carefully composed mixture from the bowl into the oven and then out to cool.
I recommend that you use flat baking sheets for practically all the recipes on this site. The best shape is a completely flat sheet with one upturned edge. This shape allows you to use your palette knife easily when either loading the sheet with dough ready to be cooked or releasing cookies from the sheet after cooking.
These are not easy to find. Almost all the so caled "baking pans" or sheets actually have a lip all the way round. For stiffer cookie dough you needs flat sheets, not lipped ones.
There are several different types of baking sheets available to you.

Traditional steel baking sheets

These are generally steel with a plating to preserve them, or sometimes aluminum with an anodized finish. These types of sheets require careful preparation (greasing and flouring) to prevent the cookies sticking during cooking and so being difficult to release. Steel sheets, having a larger thermal capacity, tend to cook more evenly than alkaline ones.

Baking sheets with a Non stick finish

These are generally of steel construction and have a non-stick (Teflon) finish on the cooking surface.
I strongly recommend this type as they are far easier to use and require little preparation, cleaning after use and ongoing care.
When the sheet is new, wash it carefully and dry it. Pour on a small amount of olive coil, about 1/2 a teaspoonful will do. Using a piece of kitchen roll, rub the oil all over the non stick surface before storing the sheet. The surface should be dry but feel slightly oily.
Each time you use to prepare it in the same way and repeat the procedure after your final washing up. This will help to preserve the coating from damage and make the cookies easier to release. Remember, after you have rubbed the oil in there should be virtually no residue on the surface.

Double thickness baking sheets

You can also get baking sheets with a double thickness base. These are said to improve the evenness of cooking. I have not tried them myself, but I have not found any evidence to support this claim from independent sources.

Cooling racks

Cooling racks are made from a wire mesh, usually about 1/4" (10mm) pitch, with short legs to lift the rack off the surface. This allows the fresh air to circulate right round the cookie as it cools.

Go to the top of this page about baking sheets and cooling racks for perfect sugar cookie baking .