Have you ever looked at a baking surface and wondered how it was affecting the way your cookies or baked goods turned out? Whether smooth, ridged, or textured, in chemistry even the smallest variables can have an affect on the outcome. It seems as though same applies to cookies, which are really just little, delicious, chemistry experiments! I have been wanting to run this test for over a year, and finally, my quarantined self found the time—still trying to stay productive! So here are my findings in comparing the results of different baking surfaces. These cookies were made from the same recipe, were scooped with the cookie scooper to be the same size, and were baked at the same temperature, for the same amount of time.

1. Foil- A much used option when it comes to covering things or making them in the oven. I feel that foil is often used in baking cookies. I found that the cookies baked morphed into less uniform circles. However, I did feel that the cookies baked very evenly, as foil works by reflecting the thermal energy used back to the food. The cookies baked on the foil-lined baking sheet also got crisper overall and toasted on the bottom, but did not burn. Also, I think by having more thermal energy directed towards the cookies, the butter and sugar had more of an opportunity to carmelize, and had a nutter/more distinct flavor once baked. If you like a chewier cookie, this is the baking surface for you! Rating: 8/10

2. Silpat- If you’re not familiar with a Silpat, I feel that today you have made a very important, life-changing, discovery. A Silpat is a non-stick, food-safe, silicon mat. When it came to the shape of the cookies, all of the cookies baked on the Silpat achieved a beautiful, circular shape, and the whole pan was very uniform. The cookies baked very evenly, but the bottom of the cookie did not get as toasted at the cookies made on the parchment or the foil. Overall, the cookies had a softer, more tender texture. Although the picture of the cookies above does not depict this, the cookies made on the Silpat were overall smaller than those baked on the foil and parchment, I think this is due to the texture of the mat that makes it harder for the cookies to spread. If you like a softer cookie, this surface is for you, and you can buy them here! Rating: 8.5/10

3. Parchment Paper- There is a picture of cookies on the box of my parchment paper. This had to be tested. Parchment paper is heat-resistant, moisture-resistant, and non-stick, all of the elements needed in order to be a baker’s partner in crime. However, I found that the cookies burned on the bottom and while still edible, it was not the toasted element the foil gave me. The paper was also the slickest surface option and while the dough was heating and spreading, it seems the bottoms of the cookies spread and baked first, and the rest of the cookie followed. As a result, the sides did not spread evenly and did not attain a circular shape. Overall the cookies this baking surface produced were overdone and unevenly spread and baked on the sides. However, my husband did want me to add that they were super crunchy. So if you want a crunchy cookie, this is your baking surface! Rating: 6.5/10