I received a BakeitFun Baking Mat to facilitate my review. I did not receive any other compensation. It did not influence my review, as all that is noted here is solely my opinion.
Right away I was intrigued with this product because the box said it was "Professional" not just an every day household product.
Somehow it sounds like it should be "better" when it says that it is a professional version. I was really kind of surprised at how compact the box was considering this was to be a 1/2 sheet pan size.
One of the things that I liked was the fact that it has "cookie circles" as well as "ruler marks" to help you keep everything in line and hopefully keep the cookies from merging all together and keeps you from putting too much on each cookie sheet.
The instructions say to wash by hand in hot soapy water before your first use. Being the good girl that I am, I did follow the instructions and washed my new mat and dried it before using.
The USA Half Size Baking Mat is 16-1/2" x 11" (280x420mm) with custom designed corners that fits perfectly a 13"x18" pan. It is manufactured using FDA and LFGB approved materials and BPA free. It is made of fiber cloth covered with the best food grade silicone. The BakeitFun Baking Mat doesn't require any added grease, fat or shortenings - no "non-stick spray" either.
This reusable mat with outstanding heat conductivity is perfect to use in
oven, microwave or freezer. It is safe for temperatures between -40F (now that's cold) degrees to 450F
(wow high heat) degrees, but the flavors or odors will not penetrate the baking mat. I think this is one of the things that makes this "different" then the other brands I have used.
I had decided that I would make some pumpkin cookies,
since it is Pumpkin time.
Mixing up the cookies, yes I used a pouch mix that I added things to, including some "extra" pumpkin but that's how I roll, I usually make mixes my own once I've made them once following the directions, by adding to those mixes. But since I wanted to test out the mat and test it out quickly, a box mix was the way to go ... yes I was excited to see how it would work. I think I was Sandra Lee before she had those TV shows.
Because of the "cookie circles" put on the mat already, I was able to quickly measure out the cookie dough and get them in the oven ready to start baking in just a few minutes. Just gotta love that, especially if you have young kids or grandkids wanting cookies NOW!!
You can make 12 cookies per mat, allowing for them to safely spread out as it bakes. I used a cookie scoop and got 10 cookies from my 1/2 batch of mix. I really was concerned that it would spread out too far since I really "filled" those circles. But I didn't need to be concerned. It worked out really well and I didn't end up with a "mass-oh-cookie" even though I was afraid when I opened the oven door.
One of the things that they told you with the mat, is that your baked goods can take LESS time to bake than on a plain pan and to let the baked product cool slightly on the mat before removing.
I took that comment into consideration when I set the timer for my cookies. The instructions said 8 - 10 minutes for these cookies, so I checked on them at 8 minutes. Maybe because it was made with pumpkin or maybe it was my oven, but I needed to go the full 10 minutes with the cookies but as you can see, the bottoms are not overcooked. In fact, they are very nicely "chewy" as I personally think pumpkin cookies should be. These came out soft, chewy and pretty tasty if I do say so myself.
I let the cookies rest for about 5 minutes or so (no time was mentioned when told to let cool slightly before removing) and was pleasantly surprised that I could pick them up with my hands and did not need to use a spatula or cookie/pancake turner. And no mess on the mat! I know I have a few baking mats and always have to wash or at least use a damp towel to clean it off a bit before getting the next batch ready for the oven. With this mat, it was almost as clean after making my cookies, as it was after I washed it right out of the box.
And keeping it clean and usable for a long time is very very easy. The non-stick surface eliminates the need to scrub. To keep your baking
sheets clean, just rinse with warm water and air dry or
dish wash, dry and roll it and store. I kept my box so I can roll it up and put it back in the box so it is ready for use any time I want to bake or cook. Might just try a "free-style" meatloaf next.
I am very pleased with the BakeitFun Mat. So much so, I think I will be picking up another one very soon to replace some of the ones I had that don't work nearly as well as this one did, even when they were brand new.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using
Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
