My Latest Crush

School girl crushes can be such fun, although it's rather bitter sweet when you realize that the object of your affection is an expensive celebrity that you have no intention of purchasing because you lack the funds to do so.

No, I am not talking about a mail order husband, nor even a person for that matter. I am talking about Silpat baking mats. They are magical little sheets that will not let anything stick to them. That's right, no more parchment paper, no more greasing pans. Just simply put your Silpat on the bottom of the pan, place your scrumptious delights on top, and bake! The blogs I have been reading say they aren't just for cookies and such, but can be used for veggies even and do not retain smells/tastes like garlic or onion.

::crush crush crush::

Oh, and just in case you are trying to win my eternal love, here's the website: Silpat

One reason why I would love to have a Silpat is because, if I had one, I would not have to go buy more parchment paper this week. I ran out when making maple cookies today for the Tuesday night get-together. I was planning to make orange-chocolate filled cream puffs, but I did not cook the butter to high enough temperature (I got excited and forgot to follow the directions), so I had to scramble for something else to make. I pulled out this simple recipe that doesn't take much hands-on time to put together.

Maple Cookies

Makes 24 to 30 cookies.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar, plus more for dusting

16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room
temperature

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the 3/4 cup sugar and the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the maple syrup, vanilla and egg yolk and beat for 1 minute. Sift together the flour and salt directly onto the butter mixture, then beat on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Butter 2 baking sheets.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll out 1/8 inch thick (seriously, go thicker than you think you need to in order to avoid a burnt cookie). Using a maple leaf–shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible. As the cookies are cut, place them 1 inch apart on a prepared baking sheet. Then, using a small paring knife, mark each cutout in a pattern resembling the veins of a maple leaf. Gather up the scraps, reroll and cut out as many additional cookies as possible. Repeat with the second dough portion, placing the cookies on the second prepared baking sheet. Dust each cookie with about 1/2 tsp. sugar.

Place the baking sheets on separate racks in the oven. Bake the cookies until the edges are light golden, 10 to 12 minutes, switching the pans and rotating them 180 degrees halfway through baking. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Seasonal Celebration Series, Autumn, by Joanne Weir (Time-Life Books, 1997).