Thanks for posting this - I recently read this somewhere, don't remember where, but never saved it - but I have now.

Teresa, I mis-read this subject as "bacon grease to grease the pans" and had to laugh. Reminded me of dearly departed Great Aunt Dott who never threw anything away and recycled absolutely everything. You would eat a piece of her cake and get a lump of bacon fat on the edge, LOL, my uncle (her nephew) would NEVER eat any of her baked goods, when she brought him a plate of Christmas cookies he put them out for the birds as soon as she left. (She made a great pot roast though, and her nieces fought over her cast iron pot when she was gone.)

I like the baking spray. But I also use the trick my college roommate taught me back in those pre-PAM days, especially when I just need the pan greased, not greased and floured. I keep a can of "I-Can't-Believe-It's-Not-Crisco!" (i.e, store brand vegetable shortening) with a baggie in it. I stick my hand in the baggie and swirl it around, grease the pan, then return the baggie to the can. My hand stays clean.

Takes me ages to get through a can of shortening these days. The only thing I use it for, besides greasing pans, is pie crust. But the Crisco sticks are so convenient to use, and I use them so seldom, I happily pay the extra for them. So the can gets used mostly to grease things, now, I guess.

I also use 'baking grease' of the same type mom did for as long as I can remember. It's two parts Crisco to one part flour but I like the idea of the oil to make it a little bit softer. I think I'll try it for my next batch.

Yes, it is good to use, I have used it probably for over 30 years. So handy to have on hand.

Sue

If you can find some lecithin (health food stores usually have it) you can concoct a very effective release agent (that's what the baker's jargon term is). Healthy, too; no trans fats.

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup lecithin (liquid or granular, but the liquid mixes up more readily)

Blend together in a blender, store in the fridge in a clean glass jar. Works great. If you do a lot of baking, it's worth mixing some up. This concoction is from 'Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book'.

gellchom, thanks for posting the idea of using a baggie over your idea while greasing baking pans! I'll be hosting Thanksgiving dinner again this year for a large crowd, and I know this will be a real blessing. :-)

I had meant to say "using a baggie over your hand".

Unfortunately, we can't edit posts here.

Great idea with the baggie. I'm mentally filing that one away.

I had this saved from a while ago as "Pan Release" on my hard drive. It works great! Always good to share info like this with folks who might have missed it!

The original recipe is from recipezaar, and one of the notes said that "for baking recipes using chocolate you may use 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder in place of white flour or 1/4 cup each cocoa powder and flour --- this may be increased or decreased sucessfully just make certain that all three ingredients are the same amounts or the mixture will not work as well."

NOTE: You can make half a recipe and it works well. Some folks have kept this in the fridge for a loooooong time, and it's still good!
Recipe:
1/2 cup corn oil or canola oil or vegetable oil
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature (Crisco shortening is good)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Using an electric mixer beat until mixture has increased in volume slightly and resembles marshmallow cream.
Place in a container with a lid and store on the counter or in a cupboard (in hot weather it may be refrigerated).
The mixture tends to separate slightly upon sitting in your cupboard or refrigerator so mix before using, then brush pans using a pastry brush or a clean paper towel.

Smiles,
Sooz

Here is a link that might be useful: Pan Release -read the helpful notes under ratings

I've used the plastic bag trick since I started baking. At home Ma always used butter wrappers to grease pans and that's when I thought a piece of waxed paper would work, Then one time I looked at the box of cheap plastic bags and thought "why not?".

But I've never had a problem greasing and flouring pans. If I have more than one pan to prep, I put in excess flour, give it the quick spin, and dump into the next pan and so on down the line.

And I do NOT like those spray coatings. I've ruined enough pans with that garbage. What's it do to our innards is what I wonder.

I read about the lecithin years ago...never tried it...but thanks for the reminder. I am sure it's better and healthier than crisco or sprays....which I currently use.
Linda C

I have used butter wrappers for years, but if I have none on hand, I use either a cooking spray or put a plastic bag on my hand and spread whatever "grease" I plan to use.

Never thought to mix it all up with flour. I'll have to try that!

Linda

If you use my roommate's method, an advantage is that you just leave the baggie in the can (or jar, I guess, if you are making your own lecithin mix), open side up, for next time. The bags are cheap, but I try hard to throw away as little plastic as possible. I suppose this trick has saved hundreds over all these years.

I have a bag of butter wrappers in the freezer. Never do I throw a wrapper away, and always do I use them to butter my cake pans. I don't buy margarine or tubs of butter or margarine, so I have plenty of butter wrappers for greasing my baking pans. Frozen butter wrappers take five seconds on the counter to thaw.