All about Baking Racks:

How a Baking Rack Can Save Your Next Batch of Sugar Cookies

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Sugar cookies are a cornerstone of the cookie decorating world. They're a blank canvas for endless creativity, but achieving perfectly baked and decorated cookies requires the right tools. While a rolling pin, cookie cutters, and decorating tools are essential, an often-overlooked tool that can streamline your decorating process is a baking rack.

Sure, baking sheets are a baker's best friend, but what happens once those beautiful cookies come out of the oven? I will preach all day that letting your cookies cool completely on the baking sheet is absolutely crucial. This allows the baking process to finish and ensures a fully baked cookie.

A wire cooling rack can be used to cool cookie sheets and can also serve as a tray for decorating cookies. Want to know what my absolute favorite cookie sheets and cooling rack is? Keep reading!

However, many bakers, myself included, use multiple sheet pans throughout the decorating process. Whether it's for multiple batches of cookies or allowing decorated cookies to dry in phases, having a dedicated space to store your sheet pans is essential. This is where the baking rack comes in.

Why you need a rack:

Beyond Storage: The Airflow Advantage

A baking rack provides more than just a place to park your hot sheet pans. The space between the wires allows for air to circulate around the cookies, promoting even and efficient cooling. This is especially important for frosted cookies. Proper airflow helps to dry the icing evenly and prevents it from becoming sticky or tacky.

It's a great place to dry your icing transfers for cookies too! And to get some good air circulating over your rolled buttercream!

Saving Your Cookies from Disaster

Let's face it, kitchens can be chaotic, especially when you're elbow-deep in royal icing and sprinkles. A stray bump or an playful child darting by can send a balanced sheet pan of cookies tumbling to the floor. A baking rack minimizes this risk. With your cookies elevated and neatly organized, you can rest assured your creations are safe from accidental knocks or spills.

So next time you're preheating your oven for a batch of sugar cookies, take a moment to appreciate your rack. It might not be as flashy as a piping bag or a fancy decorating tip, but it plays a vital role in ensuring your sugar cookies turn out cool, crisp, and beautifully decorated.

Tips for the perfect rack for your baked goods:

• Measure your cookie sheets! Cookie pans come in multiple sizes as do cooling racks. Make sure your trays will fit in the rack you purchase!

• Make sure the layers lock in place, the last thing you want is for your baker's rack to topple over!

• Footprint. How much space can you dedicate to a cookie sheet rack? Ultimately, it will save your space from being bombarded with a scatter of cookie sheets but you still need to decide if a smaller rack for your countertop would be more realistic or a taller rack with more storage that can be wheeled around your kitchen.

• Coverage. Some racks have covers that you can zip up around the rack to ensure those cookies don't dry out during a multi-step decorating process.

My Favorite Small Cooling Rack:

Why we love it:

• Saves space by collapsing for easy storage

• Sturdy enough

• Great if you only juggle a few cookie sheets at a time

Geesta 2/3/4-Tier Upgraded Collapsible Cooling Rack with Adjustable 3 Setting Design Stackable Roasting Cooking Drying Wire Cooling Rack for Cookies 

Best Mid-Size Bakers Rack:

Why we love it:

• Not too big, Not too small

• Sturdy

• Can take the casters off if you want to use it on your countertop

Giantex 10 Tier Aluminum Bakery Rack Home Commercial Kitchen Bun Pan Sheet Rack Mobile Sheet Pan Racking Trolley Storage Cooling Rack w/Lockable Casters

Best Large Baker's Rack:

Why we love it:

• Sturdy

• Maximizes Verticle Space

• If you don't need all of the racks for your baked goods, it's also a great place to store flat tools such as cookie cutters, piping bags and texture mats

Giantex 20-Tier Kitchen Bun Pan Sheet Rack Aluminum Bakery Rack Home Commercial Kitchen Bakery Cooling Rack w/Wheels 2 Lockable & Open Shelf

By having a baking rack on hand, you'll find yourself reaching for it more often than you might think! It's a versatile kitchen tool that can save you time, effort, and even prevent culinary disasters

• Cooling Cakes and Pies: While some cakes and pies require a specific cooling method, a rack is perfect for letting them cool completely once removed from the pan.

• Drying Herbs: Freshly harvested herbs? Spread them out on a rack to dry quickly and evenly, preserving their flavor and aroma for future use.