Just make sure that if you use a cookie sheet for your clay, do not use it later for food. For Nail Art: Speaking of multiple uses, these mats have a seriously long lifespan. Seriously! When maintained properly (we’ll discuss proper care in the section below), they can be used thousands of times. Safety is top-of-mind for many households. Look for a mat that is made from non-toxic, food-grade silicone to keep carcinogens out of your food.

Don’t use knives or sharp objects anywhere near these babies, and don’t try cutting your mat to size. Despite how durable it is, the silicone is still pretty delicate, and can easily be cut through if you’re not careful.One of my favorite silicone mat uses is making bread without a baking pan. Crusty home made bread is made for a silicone mat. I just form mine into any kind of loaf that I want it to be (I love the look of free formed crusty bread!) Each mat measures approximately 11 5/8 x 16 1/2 inches. Both have the same aesthetic features: a light brown base, with a dark gray outer lining. They are not available in any other sizes. My silpat mat is a bit bigger than my pan, so it forms sides and covers the bottom. Clean up is a breeze with soap and water. (See my recipe for asparagus wrapped in bacon. It’s delicious and cooks really well on a baking mat!) Making Decorative Chocolate drizzles. The butter layer is easily manipulated on the silicone mat, since it remains in one place without moving. Just pipe your egg whites into meringue shapes and bake them at a low temperature. They will be perfectly cooked on the bottom and the sides and you have far less likelihood of burning the bottoms.

Every baker knows what a mess you can make on a counter or cutting board when you are rolling out dough. Use silicone baking mats instead. The come in several sizes. The larger one is perfect for rolling dough.

From The Manufacturer

Silpat silicone baking mats are one of the most durable, long lasting, temperature withstanding silicone mats available. They are professional grade quality with many bakeries choosing to bake with Silpat silicone baking mats. I love roasted veggies. Cooking them in the oven brings out the natural sweetness of vegetables but it can make a real mess out of roasting pans. I fix this easily when I use a silicone baking mat for roasting vegetables by placing the mat on a normal baking sheet. I find using cling wrap is much more difficult to make the butter layer since it moves around and it quite flimsy. I find it hard to place it on a plate and then into the fridge, and somehow get it off of the plate in one piece to place into the croissant dough for lamination. The butter layer frequently breaks on me if I use cling wrap.