13 WAYS TO CELEBRATE PARCHMENT IN THE KITCHEN
13 Ways To Celebrate Parchment – We know that to Celebrate Every Day®, we have to spend some time in the kitchen. Any tool or ideas that make the time we spend there more enjoyable or efficient gets our stamp of approval. Parchment paper. We line our pans with it. Then we discovered more than a dozen ways to use this versatile product, and we thought we would share them with you!
1. Line baking dishes, pans, and cookie sheets.
As we mentioned above, one of the most common uses is protecting the surfaces of our bakeware. Not only does it make metal and stoneware easier to clean, but parchment also helps preserve our final product.
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- Cakes don’t fall apart in the pan
- Cookies don’t crumble
- Meats don’t leave the skin behind
- The crunchiest part of the vegetables come away for us to enjoy
2. Replaces pastry bags
Roll up a piece of parchment paper and fit a decorating tip on the end. You’re ready to start piping! Decorate cookies, cakes, and cupcakes. Whether you’re using frosting or whipped cream, it won’t matter. Parchment paper is sturdy enough.
3. Bake pizza dough
Homemade pizzas are the best. Everyone gets to pick their favorite toppings; they even get to make the kind of crust they like. With parchment paper, everyone can prep their dough at the same time and slide it right on to the stone when their turn comes to par-bake it in the oven. Then slide it back off to put the sauce and toppings on. Repeat the cycle for the final bake. Piping hot pizzas and everyone gets what they want!
4. Line bar and cake pans
Yes, parchment paper can be cut to fit any size cake pan. With bar pans and sheet cakes, cut the parchment extra long to use as a handle to lift the whole item out when baked. It will make for more effortless decorating and cutting.
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- The same technique can be applied to yeast and quick breads, too!
- After cutting into single serving sizes, place fresh sheets of parchment between layers of bars, cookies, truffles, and slices when storing or gift-giving.
5. Create an en papillote (a French word for ‘in parchment’).
Fill it with our choice of vegetables, fish or chicken, and seasonings and roast in the oven. Then transfer to your plate and enjoy. No muss, no fuss. Apply this technique to potatoes and asparagus, too.
6. Catch drips
Parchment is the perfect clean up tool when making chocolate dipped anything. Especially around the gift-giving holidays when we bake up a storm, dipping cookies, fruit and pretzels keep us busy. Keep the mess to a minimum. Then transfer each yummy morsel to a clean sheet to set up. They will come away beautifully!
7. Make sushi
Use parchment to help make beautiful sushi rolls at home. Prepare your ingredients, including sticky rice, sliced cucumbers, carrots, fish of your choice, and nori. Use the parchment to help you roll it all together in an elegant roll.
8. Make a panini
Place the sandwich between a folded piece of parchment before placing it in the press. Clean up has never been so easy!
9. Pipe beautiful meringues
Whether making meringue cookies or pies, parchment paper makes piping meringues quick and easy. It’s almost mess-free, too.
10. Raise up tall soufflés
Make a collar from a strip of parchment to wrap around the inside of your ramekins before baking to keep your soufflés standing tall.
11. Wrap individual candies
Parchment keeps candies from sticking together, especially caramels. Fudge, chocolates, and mints fit this category, too.
12. Line bread baskets
Especially when entertaining, scatter several baskets lined with parchment along the table and fill them with freshly baked bread. The parchment will help give the table a casual feel and the crumbs will be easier to clean up later.
13. Create decorative elements for cake decorating.
Once the frosting has set, the design will easily release from the parchment.