Have you seen the silicone bakeware that’s all the rage lately?  I am sure you’ve heard of (and have probably used) a Silpat.  But did you know that silicone is used to make cookware as well? 

I recently purchased an 8X8 inch Wilton silicone pan.  My brownie pan was in serious need of replacement.  I have been eye-ing some silicone cookware so I thought I would give it a shot.

At first, I had a hard time getting used to the flexibility of the pan (but that flexibility is what makes it so great – read on!).  It is soft and really “bendable” as seen in this photo. When you put it in the oven it has to go in on a cookie sheet to keep it stable.

I decided to experiment with this pan and made a  tried and true brownie recipe that I have been making for years, Blonde Brownies (recipe follows).  The brownie recipe is super easy to make and goes together with just  a few stirs.  No mixer needed=my kind of recipe.

The batter is quite thick when it’s done.  After spraying the pan with nonstick spray (instructions for this pan’s use come with it by the way), I plopped the batter in with a spoon.  I was afraid it would not be easy to spread in a greased silicone pan and I was right – at first.  I tried the back of the spoon, and then a knife.  It would not spread without just sliding all over.  But when I used my fingers and just pushed in around, it worked like a charm.

Topped it off with milk chocolate chips and into the oven it went (with a cookie sheet underneath).

I wasn’t quite sure of the timing since the pan is definitely a lot different than a metal one.  Would it cook slower, quicker?  Well, at least for this recipe, it took about the same amount of time in the oven.

After baking, I took the silicone pan off the cookie sheet and put the silicone pan on a cooling rack.  I let them cool until I could stand it no longer!  I was really anxious to see how hard it was to get them out of that silicone pan!

And I was rewarded with a batch of brownies that looked perfect out of the pan.  The pan “peels” right off and leaves a perfectly shaped square of pure brownie enjoyment!

And what I love the best is that the brownies were evenly baked throughout.  The edges and the bottom were not one bit darker than the rest of it.  This is one of the great things about silicone bakeware and it is one thing that will make me buy more of it.

It’s hard to see in my pics (really cloudy and rainy today) but here’s a shot to show the bottom and side of the brownies…

Isn’t that just gorgeous?!

After peeling the pan off (which was incredibly easy to do), I was able to cut them into perfect squares. Yum!  And the silicone pan can go right into the dishwasher too.

I will definitely be trying out more silicone cookware.

I’m not the only one who loves this pan!

Read what others have to say about this Silicone Pan – 4 people give it five stars!  Click Here

Blonde Brownies

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg (slightly beaten)

1 tsp. vanilla

6 oz. chocolate chips

Sift flour, salt, baking powder and soda together (or whisk in the bowl – a little trick I learned from Martha).  In second bowl, stir together brown sugar and melted butter and let cool slightly.  Add egg and vanilla to sugar/butter mixture and stir well.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed.  Put in a greased 8X8 pan (silicone is great for this one!).  Bake for about 22-25 minutes, or until the middle looks like it’s done (may still look wet but will look solid when touched).

This recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 9X13 pan for 25-30 minutes.  Can also add nuts to the batter.