Why Would You Want to Buy Silicone Baking Mats?

Over the last decade or so, silicone bakeware seems to have taken over kitchens worldwide. No wonder: it’s easy to handle, non-stick, non-toxic, with no risk of breaking, chipping or scratching, typically withstands temperatures varying from -40 ˚C to 230 ˚C, and has the name of being eco-friendly.

On that last point, we have some doubts, though.
And actually, some of those other points might be just as true for other materials.

Read on to see what to consider before rushing off to buy silicone bakeware  -in particular silicone baking mats- and find a recipe for a lovely sweet treat to bake this Christmas (or any other time of year). It’s dairy-free too!

What is silicone?

Silicone is a synthetic polymer, that can vary in consistency from liquid to plastic-like solid.
It is made from silica, also silicon dioxide (a combination of silicon and oxygen), which is a natural substance found in sand. This is a plentiful substance in nature, but in the end, a non-renewable one.

To produce the silicone, fossil fuels are used both in the heating process and as a source for the necessary hydrocarbons.

How did silicone become an eco-hero?

Silicone has been largely promoted as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic. And indeed, both in production and in longevity, silicone typically is the more sustainable option of the two.

Reusable silicone lids, for example, can help reduce both the use of single use plastic wrappers and food waste. That’s an obvious win for the environment. Even if they replace reusable plastic lids, the production of the silicone ones will still have a lower impact.

As more and more people are becoming more conscious of the need to change to a more sustainable lifestyle, marketers are keen to stress this aspect of silicone.

Silicone baking mats are often sold as an eco-friendly alternative to single use tin foil or baking parchment/ paper. And though they undeniably produce less waste per bake, we think it is well worth a closer look before declaring silicone baking mats an eco-product.

Why wouldn’t a silicone baking mat be a sustainable choice?

One big problem with silicone, is the lack of recycling options. It may last for years, but not forever. And even though it is recyclable and may be rightfully sold as such, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a place where you can easily hand in old silicone products for recycling in the UK.
Even if your silicone gets recycled, it can only be done so to a certain limit, for it will lose quality with each cycle -just like plastic.

Good quality silicone baking mats have been claimed to last for 2000-3000 uses. Some brands proudly claim up to a 1000 uses as to set them apart from shorter lasting ones. So, while it largely depends on how often you use them, and how well you treat them, there are also great varieties in quality, and nobody knows exactly how long a baking mat will last you. Sooner or later though, it will undoubtedly lose functionality. And whether this happens after three years or ten, it is most likely to end up in landfill then. Silicone does not biodegrade or decompose.

Is there a better alternative?

It seems to us, that a 100% compostable baking parchment is actually an environmentally better option than a reusable silicone baking mat. No matter how often you use it, the latter will end up in landfill, whereas the single use parchment will completely disappear in the compost. Just be sure to look for unbleached and chlorine free baking paper. If you are home composting, tear up larger pieces to help the process along.

However, the production and transportation of baking parchment is not without impact, so you may want to stop and think if you really need it. We marvel at the amount of recipes that will tell you to line a cookie sheet with paper. Some will even continue to tell you to then proceed to grease that paper. We have even come across: ‘grease baking pan, line with foil, grease foil.’

We may be getting a bit old, but we remember the days that no lining at all happened in home baking.

If you have a baking sheet, tray or pan, you really do not need to line this with either a silicone baking mat or baking paper.

Just a drop of oil or a bit of shortening will do the job if you need to enhance the non-stick properties of your baking pan. No extra products needed.
(Just don’t use a non-stick spray)

If you don’t have a baking tray yet, you may want to have a look here or here to find one.
No doubt, these also have their impact on production, but they

• easily last as long as a silicone mat
• can easily be handed in with the scrap metal if ever they need replacement
• can be endlessly recycled without loss of quality
• do not need to be topped with an additional products such as a baking mat or paper
• are great for bar cookies like the ones below (if you get ones with upstanding sides)

A delicious dairy-free treat to bake in your tray

If you regret now that you didn’t start a Christmas pudding earlier, if you want to upgrade your selection of Christmas biscuits, or if you’re just looking for great sweet treat any other time of the year, try these lebkuchen-inspired bar cookies and play around with the filling.
We’re not going to call these healthy, for this sugar bomb obviously isn’t. But, then again, it is very healthy to treat yourself to something you then fully enjoy.
They are dairy-free, which is not just nice for anyone with lactose intolerance, but also significantly lowers the environmental impact.

Ingredients

• 450 grams dark brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 175 grams flour
• 1.5 heaped teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Tips and tricks to play around with:

• we particularly love these with some handfuls of raisins, cranberries and/ or chopped up apricots (try any dried fruit of your choice) and
• some handfuls of chopped up walnuts or pecans – but these can easily be left out when bringing into a school for example, or to a party where someone might be allergic
• if you’re regretting not having made a Christmas pudding, use candied peel and/ or soak your dried fruit in brandy before adding it to the mix
• add icing once cooled, if and as desired – mix some fresh lemon juice with icing sugar to get a slightly fresher taste, as the cookies themselves are quite sugary already
• to get chewy cookies, use a smaller tin to get a thicker layer, or bake a bit shorter; to get more crispy biscuits, keep your layer rather thin or bake a bit longer

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 175˚C.
2. Grease two medium baking pans or one large one.
3. Beat brown sugar and eggs until well mixed.
4. Gradually beat in flour, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder.
5. Stir in any and all additions of your choice.
6. Spread evenly into your baking pan.
7. Bake for 20-30 mins, until set, but depending on how crisp you want them.
8. Allow to cool completely in the pan on a rack.
9. Cut into bars (or squares) and enjoy!

P.S.: Non-stick bakeware is best cleaned with a gentle soapy wipe, in which case Jeremy is your friend.
But did you know, if things don’t turn out as expected and you need a bit more of a scrub, coconut scourers like safix and tawashi are safe to use on all cooking surfaces, including non-stick products?