Thanks - but that looks more like a cereal bowl food whereas I’m looking for a bar that’s a solid lump
I’m not understanding how using a type of plastic is better for than environment than paper. Are the silicone mats made from natural rubber? Are baking parchments using non-renewable resources?
Right, I was wondering. That’s why I called it “granola” rather than “granola bars.”
The silicone mat can be reused multiple times, while parchment paper can be used only three or four times and then it goes in the trash. Is there anyone composting or recycling used parchment paper?
Side note: if you keep birds, heating these mats will poison them.
Are you sure about that? I’ve heard that about teflon pans but only if they’re overheated. I think teflon is safe if not overheated and I’ve never heard of issues with silicone and birds.
These killed my sister’s birds
Penzey’s published a recipe a few years back that I thought sounded good. I made it and found the granola bars a bit bland, but I’m sure you could doctor the recipe to taste. Here’s the link:
Darn this new system (which I actually mostly like but which makes it easy to reply to the wrong person). I meant to reply to @casdave.
ETA: wait, that is not the recipe I was thinking of. That’s more of a cookie; I recall making a granola bar. Sorry. If I find the granola bar recipe I will post it.
I like the silicone tools, but they start to stink if they’re in the freezer for a few days. I haven’t yet found a good way to clean them.
Can you elaborate? Because I’ve generally felt that stuff that kills birds might not be great for me.
Yup. Foil can be used once or maybe twice. Parchment can be used 2-4 times. Silicon mats can be used indefinitely. The one my husband likes has been used at least 20 or 30 times, and isn’t close to being “used up”.
I don’t really like them. I find they are too flimsy and don’t produce as crusty a texture. Some people like them a lot and they are easy to keep cleanish.
Why is flimsy an issue? They’re not meant to go into the oven on their own but on top of a sheet pan or tray.
I’ve had some for well over 15 years. When I got them, I was baking a lot and didn’t want to buy new parchment or foil all the time. Nowadays, I use all of these for different purposes.
It’s not a serious issue. You can put the mat on the tray and spoon out your biscuits, etc. But it feels flimsy if you spoon them on the mat and carry it to the tray. The reduced crispness is a bigger issue. I’d just as soon add more grease to the tray and not use it.
That’s not a standard use, for sure. They’re pan liners, not pans.
It would never have occurred to me to try to carry the mat around with food on it. No more than I carry around a piece of parchment paper with raw cookies on it. I just plop it on the tray or countertop and use it where it is.
We’ve used the exact mat in the OP for like ten years. We’re on our second one, and it’s a few years old at this point, with no sign of being near its end-of-life. We never wash it by hand, we just throw it in the dishwasher.
As for scrubbing gunk off of it before putting it in the dishwasher, I leave it aside until the sink is empty so I can lay the mat flat in the sink and hit it with a scrub brush. Most gunk comes right off. If it doesn’t, the mat is easily folded so that the gunk can be peeled off by hand.
I’m not saying it was smart or I’d do it again. I had limited counter space at the time and tried it once.
I wait for the sink to be mostly-empty, I suppose. And I rinse it off under the tap, and then squirt a little soap on it and spread it around with my fingers, and then rinse the soap off. That’s plenty. It’s not the easiest dish in the world to clean, but it’s not super-hard, either. And I don’t bother with the dishwasher.