Ditch the sprays for cookie sheets and use parchment paper. I do like the sprays for some things, but I don't think you can beat parchment for cookies.

So Pixi if I use parchment paper I don't need to grease that?
Hmmm simple solution it seems! LOL

Yup..parchment paper instead of greasing (spray or otherwise).

Saves greasy buildup on pans, and also doesn't add any grease to the bottom of the food.

I try to limit my use of cooking spray to my pizza pans (the inexpensive perforated type that I can replace cheaply if I need to) and my ceramic and glass baking dishes, otherwise I use parchment. I don't care for most cooking sprays. There was one I liked, from Mazola I think, but I can't get it anymore here.

Many types of cookware are not compatible with cooking sprays.

If I'm making a recipe for something 'oven-fried' that requires a spritzing of cooking spray, I line the baking sheet with foil first.

Ditto on the parchment. I always use it when baking cookies. I never spray my cookies sheets. I have nice expensive ones that I want to keep pretty, lol

I bake cookies, cream puffs, etc. on the parchment. You don't need to spray it.

BE CAREFUL! The parchment is slick. If you are new to using it, and you move your pan to fast - you can have a cookie slide. They can zip right off, paper and all - just ask me :) .

If you have parchment on the roll - just put the curl side down on your baking sheet. If it keeps moving, before you get something down on it, you can put just a drop of water underneath to hold it.

You can use the paper over several times while baking. Don't let it hang over the side though - trim to fit the pan.

If I am baking large amounts of cookies - I will have a couple sheets of parchment ready. While I have one pan baking, I have my cookies ready on another sheet of parchment.

After the cookies come out, I slide the cookies, parchment and all, onto the table. Let the cookies sheet cool just a moment, then slide it under the cookie dough loaded second parchment - voila!

I find parchment paper to be expensive (for me)...and I don't have any problem with using my sprays on my cookie sheets.

Parchment paper is what I use.

Otherwise I'd invest in a couple of Silpats.They are initially expensive but they last forever. I bought DDIL some for her birthday last year. She loves them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Silpat

No need to grease the parchment, connie . . . and when I'm baking a TON of cookies, I have to use some cookie sheets that aren't the quality I like, but I just need the space (and don't want to wait for cooling time :) The parchment does such a superior job, that they all come out the same, which would NOT be the case if I was not using parchment.
Re the expense, by using sheets over and over (I keep a special box for those) it costs no more than cooking sprays. Some people will say certain colored boxes of parchment are better/worse, LOL . . . but they all produce the same results. I've even found name brand parchment at the $$$ store . . . stock-up time!!

I quit using the sprays too for the same reason. I have trashed so many cookies sheets, cake pans etc because of the build up on them. I now use the silicon cookie/baking sheets and love them...nothing sticks to them...nothing!

Somewhere I read not to use the sprays on non-stick pans. Now I also use parchment paper and love it, especially for cookies! And I also reuse it several times before discarding. Makes it less expensive.

I have heard of the parchment paper but I don't know just never bought or tried it.

I shall now though, if its reuseable a few times I will do that also.

Now to find Silpat! I have to check everything out you know!

Thanks so much gals!

Yes, also, to the parchment paper. I really do prefer the brown over the white, and I do use it a number of times. I only use oven spray for cat litter boxes! Great for that, under the litter.

The best part - you don't have to wash your cookie sheets! Well, not all the time. I do wash mine once in a while, but they stay clean with the parchment.

If I have a cookie that takes a drizzled icing - I put the used parchment under the cooling racks and drizzle away. It catches the drips and you can then throw the mess out.

I have never liked cooking sprays. When I bake cookies, I sometimes use those insulated pans and there's enough butter in the cookies that I've never had them stick. I cringe when I hear people say spray cast iron with Pam, for example. I think it is nasty stuff.

A lot of cooking pan manufacturers (Nordic, for one) warn against using spray on their pans, because it ruins them.

Parchment isn't expensive at all, if you buy the brown version--the rolls are pretty long and last a good long time. Generally I only go through maybe 2 a year. I just leave the parchment on my cookie sheets, using it many times. Just shake off the crumbs, and re-use as long as you haven't cooked anything real messy on it.

I like the parchment too.

I mainly use the cooking spray for muffins, but that pan is getting disgusting.

I wish they would come out with parchment for muffin cups, but keep the price sensible.

I now use only parchment paper, even for drop cookies that don't need it.

...parchment for muffin cups...
Uh, around here, we call that cupcake papers, cups or the like! ;)

Those sprays build up terribly and I've had enough ruined pans from it. Then it occurred to me if that crud builds up like that on a pan, what's it doing to my linings? No thanks.

Around here parchment is about $3 or 10-12 feet. I usually use foil if I want to line the pans or cookie sheets. I bought a Silpat but haven't tried it yet.

I sure wish I knew this before this past weekend. I had just gotten brand new cookie sheet and same ol' residue from cooking spray left after batches of cookies. I scrubbed and scrubbed to but it is still there. Seems I have always had to replace cookie sheets alot. Thanks for the info. Why didn't I think of that???? It's like a duh... moment for me right now.

Cynic - the paper cupcake liners are not parchment. Parchment is just a different texture altogether.

I bake a lot of brownies in cupcake papers, and you have to get them "just right" or most of the brownie will stick to the paper. If I had a parchement cupcake liner, it would not stick at all.

Iowagirl, you are right, there is a big difference between cupcake papers and parchment.

I really got to thinking about this idea after posting it. I wrote to the Reynolds company and made a sugestion.

Let's see how long it takes a KT idea to show up on the market! LOL

I have a silicon cupcake pan, bought it a few years ago at Williams-Sonoma.....cupcakes and muffins just fall out - no oil needed.
And...the silicon pan is so flexible, it folds up ana takes practically storage space.

I use parchment also. And I reuse the sheets. I slide the whole thing off, put on a new sheet... then whent that one comes out, I put the one used first back on. I've used them 6 times during a bake session. never had a problem!

I have tried the silcone muffin pans. The muffins came out easily and did not stick. I just didn't like them. I can't really say why - but I guess I have had the paper on them all my life, and it must be that way, lol!!

The Martha Stewart brand of cupcake liners from K-Mart are the best, but I don't know if they have them any more. The last time I checked they were out, and it looked like they weren't restocking her items.

Check out the link to the Confectionery House - they have some really neat colored cupcake papers - even dark brown!

Here is a link that might be useful: Confectionery House