You love making no-bake cookies, but the wax paper always makes them slide around. You’ve tried parchment paper, but the cookies don’t have that delicious crackly surface. Foil might be just the solution you need! Although foil and wax paper are similar in some ways, they are also very different. Wax paper has a coating of wax on one side that repels liquids so it can be used to preserve things like apples or berries without them getting soggy. But foil is made from aluminum, which is a metal and therefore not really porous enough to prevent moisture from seeping through. However, if you’re committed to using foil instead of wax paper for your no bake cookies, here are a few tips on how to make it work for you:
Double up on foil.
The first step in using foil instead of wax paper is to make sure that it is actually thick enough to do the job. Sometimes people think they can just use one layer of lightweight foil, but it won’t be nearly thick enough to create a barrier and your cookies will come out soggy. You’ll want to double up the foil and make it at least as thick as the wax paper you’re currently using. The more layers you have, the better. If you’re baking for a crowd, you can even triple up the foil and make it as thick as the bottom of your oven. That way, the cookies won’t get soggy at all and will even retain their crispness. Just don’t forget that you’ve got that extra layer in there when you’re pulling the tray out of the oven.
Bake the cookies first.
The way to make foil work for no bake cookies is to bake them at a low temperature and for a long time before you add the foil. This will help the cookies dry out and become crisp. You might decide that you want to bake them at a lower temperature anyway, as foil tends to promote browning. You don’t have to bake them on foil, but you can if you want the surface to be extra-crispy. Once the cookies are baked and dried, you can add the foil and let the surface go back to being soft and chewy. The important thing is to make sure the cookies are properly dry before adding the foil or they will just steam up again.
Freeze your cookies before serving.
If you have already baked your cookies and they are still a little bit soft, you can freeze them and then use the foil. Icing the cookies before freezing them will help to keep the icing from melting and ruining the foil. Another way to use freeze foil is to make your no bake cookies and then place them on a sheet of foil and freeze them. Once frozen, you can wrap the foil around them and then stack them. That way, they won’t get mixed up with anything else and you can take out as many cookies as you need at any time.
Tips For Using Foil Instead Of Wax Paper
– You might want to consider using two or three layers of foil to make sure your cookies are well protected. The more layers you use, the less likely they are to get squished or torn in the process of taking them out of the oven. – Place the foil directly on the baking tray. It is best to not grease the foil as you will likely have to clean up melted grease when you are ready to remove the foil. – When using foil, be sure to choose heavy-duty, non-stick foil as normal foil would just slide around and tear. – Make sure to place the foil thick side down on the baking tray so that the thin side does not make contact with the cookies, as the thin side will melt and will not provide a non-stick surface. – You can also shape the foil to fit the pan to ensure a snug fit, thus preventing the cookies from sliding around.
Wrapping the bottom and sides only
This is another option if you’re baking your cookies on foil. You can place the foil down the sides of the pan and then fold it over the bottom. That way, the cookies will be in a little box of foil and you can lift them off and remove the foil when they’re done. This is a good option when you don’t want to take the time to freeze the cookies or bake them before you put them on the foil. You can also use this technique when you’re baking on normal parchment paper but the cookies are sticking to it.
Shaping the foil for a better fit.
Another option if you’re baking on foil is to shape the foil to fit the baking tray. If you’re baking no bake cookies in round baking pans, you can cut out a round piece of foil and set it in the pan. If you’re baking them in rectangular baking pans, you can cut out rectangles of foil and lay them across the pan. That way, the cookies will be on foil but they won’t be sliding around. If you do this, you might want to make sure to put down another piece of foil underneath the first one so the cookies aren’t sitting directly on the baking tray. You can do this with the sides of the tray as well if you want to be extra careful.
Conclusion
Whatever you decide, don’t forget to grease the foil or parchment paper. No bake cookies are generally pretty sticky, and you don’t want them to stick to the foil or parchment and become ruined. When all else fails, you might want to just go back to wax paper. It’s tried and true and works every time.