I *heart* Parchment Paper

©2009 Jessica Harlan licensed to About.com, Inc.

One of my favorite pieces of cooking equipment isn't actually equipment at all... it's a roll of parchment paper. I'll use parchment paper to line a sheet pan before making my Sweet and Savory Oven Fries or any other roasted vegetables. I also put parchment on sheet pans before baking cookies; it makes the pan nonstick and you don't even need to spray it with nonstick cooking spray. I tuck a sheet between layers of cookies or other baked goods as I stack them in a container. When I need to sift flour, I'll do so onto a piece of parchment; then I can just lift the whole sheet up and funnel it right into the bowl. In fact, parchment is just sturdy and water-resistant enough to act as a single-use funnel or even an ad hoc pastry bag to pipe a design of melted chocolate or frosting onto a cake. I'm constantly coming up with new ways of using this stuff... good thing that it's so cheap.

What innovative uses have you found for parchment paper?