Thursday, January 28, 2016

Counter (Saver) Culture - Counter Saver Cookie Baking & Rolo Cookies

Today, I am trying an experiment.   I have been asked this question before, about a year or so ago, and I did not have a definitive answer at the time.

Can you use a Corning Ware Counter Saver as a Baking Sheet, in the oven?

At the time, I only had 1 Counter Saver.  Not wanting to risk a breakage of said solitary saver of counters, I was leery of tempting fate by experimenting.  There is nothing quit as sad as a broken Counter Saver...   except maybe the demise of the cookies contained thereon.

Recently, the question came up again.  This time, however, I am fortuitously prepared with multiple Counter Savers in multiple sizes.  I even have two of the type that was originally "Installed" (as opposed to the "portable" variety) into a hole cut in your counter top.  I consider one of these to be of the disposable nature, since it has strange dimensions.  

It would have originally been butted up against the wall on the straight side (right).  So this is the Counter Saver I have chosen for sacrifice, should the Corning Ware gods feel the need to punish me for misusing it.  It should be noted that because this is an "Installed" (versus a "Portable") Counter Saver, there are, nor were there ever, little rubber feet on the bottom.   

This need to be completely removed from a Portable Counter Saver, before attempting oven usage.  (unless you relish the smell of burning rubber

OK, lets get this proverbial ball rolling with some cookie dough...... 

Rolo Cookies
 (AKA: Turtle cookies)

48-50 Rolo Candies
2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup natural Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Salt 
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup unsalted Butter
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
2 Large Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 1/4 cup Pecans, chopped
1 TB Granulated Sugar

First, you have to unwrap ALL those Rolos.. Don't bother counting them out.  If your anything like myself, you will just eat the extras anyway.  So just go ahead and unwrap them all.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the Flour, Cocoa, Salt and Baking Soda; then set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter, Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar

until light and fluffy.

Add the Eggs 1 at a time, blending well after each addition.

Mix in the Vanilla extract.

With the mixer at low speed, gradually add the Flour mixture, beating until combined.


Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for about 2 hours.

 Combine the chopped Pecans with 1 TB granulated Sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

After chilling the dough, begin preheating the oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and begin scooping out Tablespoons full of dough.

Flatten the dough, making a shallow "pocket" and insert a Rolo candy.

Gently wrap the edges of the dough around the Rolo,

Then roll it between your palms to create a ball.

Roll in the chopped Pecans before place the cookie balls on your Counter Saver.

Space the cookies about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10 minutes, depending on your oven.

Cool on the Counter Saver for 5 minutes to allow the caramel to set a little before moving to a cooling rack to completely cool.


Voila.... No breakage or anything.  SO I now feel that it is safe to say that your Corning Ware Portable Counter Saver is safe to use in the oven.... Proviso....  for cookies and up to 375 degrees.

The only issues I found are......

You need to remove your cookies ON TIME (no fudging), because the residual heat in the counter saver will over bake your cookies if you leave them in the oven even 30 seconds too long.  Which leads me to the second drawback....

The Counter Saver stays way to hot for way to long after being removed from the oven.  Thus, it cannot be reloaded with more cookies right away, one must wait until it has cooled enough.  30 minutes passed before it was cool enough to be used for the next batch of cookies.   This recipe makes 4 dozen.   If I didn't have spare baking sheets and a Broil and Bake tray, it would have taken me 2 hours to bake all the cookies.  You need at least 2, possibly 3 for any major cookie baking... BUT, if you are only baking 1 dozen, it's perfect.

Problem number 3 is due to the nature of the Counter Saver itself...  It's flat.  VERY flat; as it should be, since it was originally designed for counter top usage.  Thus, there is nothing to get a hold on with the pot holder, when trying to remove said Counter Saver, turned baking sheet, from the oven.  And it's gonna be hot.  If you can get your pot holder between the cross pieces of the oven rack, you can get a hold on the edge, but it's a little awkward.

But the clean up? 

Come on...  This is Corning Ware... No Sweat.


 Where is your Corning Ware??
~~