Matfer Exopat NonStick Baking Sheet, Pampered Chef 9" Square Baker and Wilton Excelle Elite 3-Tier Cooling Rack Review

My mom was a great baker. She loved to do it and she did it well. Unfortunately, I never picked up her skills or her love for baking. I have two boys' ages eight and eleven who are always asking me to bake brownies and cookies for them. While looking down at those puppy dog eyes, how could I ever say no? I have found three quality and durable items that I use for baking that really help my deserts taste like I know what I'm doing!

For Cookies:

Matfer Exopat 11-5/8-by-16-3/8-Inch Nonstick Baking Sheet

For the longest time I only owned one old cheap baking sheet that I used for everything. My poor kids would end up with burnt or doughy cookies. I finally decided to buy a higher quality one and got the KitchenAid 18x11 Nonstick Professional Cookie Sheet. Although this worked much better, I was still making some pretty sorry cookies. I was browsing on Amazon.com one day and found this really cool baking sheet for $15.99 that could be used thousands of times on top of my cookie sheets. It was the Matfer Exopat NonStick Baking Sheet. This handy sheet is made of slippery silicone and easily wipes clean with a sponge. It prevents cookies from sticking and also eliminates the need for parchment paper on nonstick cooking surfaces. It's also safe up to 580 degrees F. I just place this sheet on top of my pan and add my unbaked cookies. When the timer dings, my cookies literally just slide off this sheet without the use of a spatula. Never are the cookies burnt and are always cooked thoroughly. I have also used the sheet when I bake pies to avoid a sticky mess. The filling just drips on the mat and can be easily cleaned.

For Brownies:  

Pampered Chef 9" Square Baker - Vanilla

When I was at a Pampered Chef party everyone there who already owned this stoneware baker was raving about what great brownies the Pampered Chef 9" Square Baker made. That peaked my interest because my brownies always came out hard around the edges or too soft in the middle. The price of $33.50 seemed really high to me but all the raving about it that was going on helped force my purchase. I was also influenced by the fact that this baker is made of clay tempered with heat of over 2000 degrees. i found out that stoneware is freezer-safe, microwave-oven safe and convection oven safe. There was also a three-year guarantee. After making my first batch of brownies in this pan, I was amazed. They were the very best brownies that I have ever made. I couldn't believe that what you bake something in could make such a difference! Other foods can be made in this baker as well and mine have always tasted great! Cleaning is a little different from other baking pans. This one should never go in the dishwasher and dishwashing liquid should never be used. It just needs to be soaked in plain hot water and any baked on residue scraped off and then be rinsed. Awesome product!

For Cooling: 

Wilton Excelle Elite 3-Tier Cooling Rack

I absolutely love this cooling rack. I used to leave my cookies to cool right on the baking sheet but little did I know that they were continuing to cook. The bottoms of the cookies often were burnt and hard. I have had one tier racks but they were too small and if I used more than one, it would take up too much space. I came across the Wilton Excelle Elite 3-Tier Cooling Rack on Amazon.com for only $10.50 and I knew I had to have it. The rack stacks to become 3-tier and collapses for easy storage. The wires are steel and are reinforced with a nonstick coating. The rack is even dishwasher safe. Each grid measures 15-7/8 by 9-7/8. There is a whopping 10-year warranty too. Never has any cookie fallen through the cracks and because it is collapsible, it folds flat and can be easily tucked away without taking up any of my counter space. This is a great product with a hefty guarantee that you cannot go wrong with!

My Final Viewpoint

As I said earlier, I'm definitely no baker but with the help of these three quality products, I can fool just about anyone. My kids are happy that now that I am more confident, I bake more and they get more treats!