"The Art of Cooking" set of 3 Silicone Baking Mats: Reviewed

We do not bake sweets a large amount due to the fact that when we do, everything gets eaten by the next day. This is not great for our waistlines. :) We try to save dessert baking and treats for every 2-4 weeks. We do however, eat a lot of baked chicken, baked potatoes, french fries (not healthy sadly), pork roast, etc. Normally we would put them on a lightly spray oil greased metal baking sheet and they would taste delicious, however, the pans would get baked on messed and we did not like adding excess oils to already naturally oily foods (frozen french fries).

We recently received a set of 3 baking mats to review. They are similar to ones seen in cooking stores and shows. These are a nice classy grey and come in a set. We like using these to line our pans, which has stopped the burnt on black messes and added fat to our cooking. Taco shells work great on these as well.

I was able to use the smallest one for a quick and healthy snack for our 3 1/2 year old. She always is wanting a snack when waking from her nap. I put one flour tortilla folded over with some mozzarella cheese and place it on a small mat. This made a crispy, non greasy quesadilla! I did not need to fry it in a pan or spray it with any oil. It cooked quickly, did not burn, and clean up was easy. I only needed to wait for the silicone mat to cool, then wipe with a lightly sudsy cloth or disinfectant wipe, and rinse under warm water. There was no scorching or mess. I cut her snack in half (on her plate---not on the mat), and added a tablespoon of roasted red pepper hummis (chickpea dip). She loves to dip her foods. :)

The brand is "The Art of Cooking" and gives your pan a non-stick surface. I like how the mats are all BPA and BPP free. They are produced using FDA (USA) and LFGB (Europe) approved materials, these are oven, microwave, and freezer safe. They do not say where they are made, so I am guessing they are sadly not USA made, however as they put it, they are made using "USA approved materials."

My husband likes making homemade biscuits, and these silicone mats are perfect for a smooth clean space for flouring and rolling the dough. The nice thing is, when he is done, the flour excess can be easily contained, and the mats are lifted and shook into the trash, then rinsed off. EASY!

These mats are apparently dishwasher safe, but for top rack only. I personally do not see us needing to use the dishwasher on these. They will probably last a bit longer if hand washed. The mats will not absorb food orders which is great when we use garlic and rosemary or other fragrant herb seasonings on our baked chicken. These are not to be used as a cutting surface as this will damage the mats.

I can see us using these for the chocolate freezer treats I make. I like to melt semisweet chocolate with some butter and cacao powder, add shaved lightly sweetened coconut, and crushed almonds or pecans, roll them into little cookies and freeze for about 15-20 minutes. These mats will be perfect to line a small tray or plate and put in the freezer. I like the small size as that is what I will use for the freezer. I plan to use on a plate and stick in the freezer for up to 30 minutes and then enjoy! When I made the treat previously (not using mats), they would be solidly stuck on the plate and I would need to melt them a bit to remove. This will make it so much easier! I have not made the chocolate treats using this set, but will very soon.

Here is my daughter's quick, healthy, no oil, no butter quesadilla:

Measurements: larger one: 16 1/2' x 11 1/2'; smaller ones: 11 1/2' x 8 1/4' each

For more information on this product or to purchase, you can find this on Amazon: Set of 3 "The Art of Cooking" Silicone Baking Mats

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.