Both parchment paper and wax paper are kitchen must-haves for people who love to cook and bake. However, despite looking quite similar, there is a distinct difference between the two. One is oven safe and can be used to line cookie sheets and cake pans, while the other is helpful for rolling out dough and wrapping leftovers. When heat isnt involved, parchment and wax paper can be used interchangeably, but theres one key factor that sets the papers apart when it comes to using them in the oven.
How are you using parchment? I hope often, and for everything….that means your in the kitchen! Enjoy! xo -L
You can buy pre-cut parchment paper sheets at specialty cooking stores; these are typically in half-pan sizes, or circles suitable for cake pans. Or, you can shortcut this stop on your errand list and buy an inexpensive roll of parchment paper at the grocery store, and tear off the amount that you need to line your pans. Earlier this week, when I made a flourless almond cake, I used a piece of parchment paper from a roll to line the bottom of a cake pan. Here’s how I cut the right sized circle:
Unlike wax paper or aluminum foil, parchment paper is moisture-resistant and grease-resistant, and absolutely should be on hand whenever you set out to cook or bake anything. Here’s why:
Don’t forget – keep your parchment paper away from the broiler; it will catch fire in seconds. And, know that parchment paper and wax paper are NOT interchangable in recipes. Wax paper wax will MELT off, so never bake with it.
As if I didn’t spend a good bit of time in the kitchen before, I really am spending time in this favorite room of mine lately. More than just a place I like to spend time, my home kitchen has been turned into a working athlete-food-lab. This means I spend a good bit of time also going to the store to stock up on ingredients I run out of, and equipment that I need to do my work, and keep that work as streamlined as possible. The thought came over me earlier this week, as I was standing at a checkout counter balancing my bike helmet in one arm, and a basket full of parchment paper in the other, that this particular provision is something a few of you readers might not yet be familiar, or addicted to yet, and so I thought I’d share a few how/why/where tips on parchment paper here.
Parchment Paper
Parchment is a non-toxic, grease- and moisture-resistant paper specially treated for oven use, and can withstand temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. “I use parchment 100 percent of the time when I cook, even in instances where wax paper would suffice,” says chef Ronna Welsh, owner of Purple Kale Kitchenworks cooking school in Brooklyn, N.Y. “This is to eliminate having two rolls of cooking paper in my kitchen, when just one will do.”