Silicone bakeware and bake tools are the latest rage for the modern kitchen!
These colourful, contemporary bakeware and bake tools are becoming very popular. You may have seen them in some upmarket shopping centres (usually quite highly priced as well). Silicone bakeware have the following advantages over traditional bakeware:
- Even heat distribution, which means cakes bake more evenly. In traditional metal pans, the outer edge of the cake in contact with the pan usually bakes first which can result in browning or even burning of the edges
- Non-stick so only light greasing at the bottom of the pan is necessary (greasing may not be necessary for pans with smaller surface areas)
- After the cake is baked, the cake can be easily removed with a simple twist or pull of the silicon pan
- Safe for use from -40oC up to about 230oC hence can be used in freezer, refrigerator, microwave oven and traditional oven. This makes it a very versatile kitchen equipment. As an example, a round or square silicone baking pan can also be used for steaming your fish or veggies....
- Can go straight from freezer to oven for reheating
- Lightweight, does not dent or break
- Pan is easily cleaned with regular dish-washing liquid and water
- Because it is flexible and will retain its shape, you can fit it into smaller spaces in your kitchen and save on storage space
9-inch Round Silicone Baking Pan
This round cake pan is a must-have if you bake a lot. Personally this is the item I have used most frequently. I usually grease the bottom lightly so that the cake comes out easier. And greasing is so easy - just place a little grease of your preference at the bottom of the pan, fold the bottom up on itself rubbing the insides together and spreading the grease all over - no sticky fingers! I don't grease the sides, so usually I run a blunt butter knife around the edge to make sure there is no sticking. I also like that once the cake is out of the oven, within a few minutes, I can hold the rim of the pan without getting burned. So when the cake is turned out out, it's usually done with bare hands.
Tip : Place the cake on a metal tray to bake. To unmould, after running a blunt knife around the sides of the pan, turn the cake upside down onto a cooling rack. Slowly peel off the rest of the silicone pan from the cake. I have also read that if you let the cake cool completely in the pan, it comes off very easily.
This pan is available in 2 colours - Azure Blue or Slate Gray (limited pieces)
Azure Blue
Slate Gray
PRICE : RM 42
Silicone Muffin Pan
These silicone muffin pans are excellent for those who love making muffins! Though not a muffin person, I recently made a small batch of chocolate chip muffins to test if a new brand of chocolates can hold its shape when baked (had a bad experience once where the sales lady told me very confidently that the chocolate pieces could stand up to baking... they didn't, and I had a large batch of "no-chocolate chip" cookies). Anyway, I really like the way the muffins came off the pan! No greasing was required. Once out of the oven, simply turn it upside down and twist slightly - the way you would with a tray of ice - and all the muffins came tumbling out! I think I might be inspired to bake more muffins.... (Oh, the chocolate chips did very well in the oven and we had a lovely batch of chocolate chip cookies)
PRICE : RM 35
(Available only in Azure Blue)
Silicone Cupcake Liners
Silicone cupcake liners are environmentally friendly alternatives to disposable paper liners. These soft and flexible liners come in 4 exciting colours (Candy Apple Red, Azure Blue, Lemon Yellow and Clover Green), and in sets of 6 pieces.
PRICE : RM 30
(Set of 6 pieces)
VANILLA BEANS
It's hard to find good vanilla flavouring or essence in the market these days. What's typically available are the artificial flavours, and personally, I find the taste and flavour quite... well, artificial. So instead of using these fakes for your cakes, you can use real vanilla extracted from a vanilla bean. It adds a wonderful flavour to your cakes.
To use the vanilla bean, simply place the vanilla bean on a flat surface and use a knife to split it lengthwise. Open it up and use the back of your knife or a small spoon to scrape out the tiny seeds inside (they have a slightly oily appearance). You can use a whole bean for every 1-2 tsp of vanilla essence called for in a recipe.
The vanilla beans on sale here are from Indonesia. They come in either packs of 6-7 inch beans, or 7+ inch beans. Each pack has 10 beans.
Vanilla pods 6-7 inches
Vanilla pods 7+ inches
PRICE
6-7 inch pack : RM 9.00
7+ inch pack : RM 12.00
7+ inch pack : RM 12.00
