Why Parchment Paper Is Your Friend When Traveling With Baked Goods - Tasting Table

"Traveling with baked goods is basically an engineering project. Stairs, sudden stops on the subway, and sundry bumps in the road, everything conspires against the delicate structural integrity of your beautiful cupcakes. Most people think of it only as something to line a sheet pan, but it has a secret superpower: travel insurance. Parchment has just enough friction to keep baked goods from drifting into each other, and it absorbs the tiny impacts that would otherwise cause smudges or chips."

"In a slippery container, a stack of cookies will slide around like coins in a jar, knocking against each other until the prettiest ones are a disjointed pile of jagged crumbs. Parchment provides an interruption to that movement. Each sheet is a non-slip mat, giving the layers of baked goods their own defined space. It's especially helpful for anything fragile, like shortbread, slices of loaf cake, or frosted cinnamon rolls. The parchment will hold them in place without sticking, which keeps their surfaces intact."

"Materially, parchment protects texture because of the way it handles moisture. It does have a layer of silicone, so while it isn't "breathable", it still won't trap condensation as thoroughly as plastic wrap would, and doesn't cling when exposed to hot air, allowing crisp items to stay crisp, and soft, crumbly goods don't get clammy during the trip. You can fold parchment around individual pieces like envelopes, or simply lay sheets between layers in a container."

Parchment paper prevents baked goods from sliding into one another by providing friction and absorbing small impacts, protecting frosting and delicate structures. Each sheet acts as a non-slip mat that defines layers and stops stacks of cookies or pastries from shifting inside containers. The silicone-coated surface handles moisture without trapping condensation as much as plastic wrap, so crisp items stay crisp and soft goods avoid becoming clammy. Sheets can be folded around individual pieces like envelopes or placed between layers to keep surfaces intact. Parchment dividers also serve as markers, making layers easy to lift out without crushing.

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