Hey everyone, I'm making cut-out cookies (for the first time!) and using my silpat mat (also for the first time) and it smells pretty funky in the oven. Just thought I'd ask all you experienced people here if it's normal for it to smell like cooking play-do?

Thanks!

anyone? no?

I don;t use mine for baking. just rolling. My mom LOVES hers!!
I m a parchment girl. Is it new???
Michelle

did you wash it before using it for the first time?

I've heard that it's got to be "broken-in" sort of on the first few uses. Not sure what you could do to achieve that, except bake with it, of course! lol Is it making the cookies taste funny? If not, then I bet the smell will wear away with your next few uses. At least I hope it does!! I was planning on asking for one for Christmas. Is it the Silpat brand name or a Silpat-like silicone mat from another brand or manufacturer? Maybe that makes a difference??

i used a silicone muffin pan...and it smelled terrible in the oven. even set off the fire alarm! not sure if i want to try again, but maybe like JennT said, it just needs to be broken-in.

It's not actually a Silpat, it's a 'Matfer Exopat' - do you think that would make a difference? I did wash it before using, and made sure it was dry. The cookies themselves look and smell fine (I haven't tasted one yet) and I LOVE the way they baked (in my crappy oven, it's next to impossible to get anything baked evenly). The smell seems to have lessened the more batches I've made, but I could just be used to the smell now.

Thanks for your responses, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't toxic and going to poison everyone or something

Can't wait to see responses, I spend $20on one years ago. Never use it because the smell turned me off right away. Plus, I didn't notice to much of a plus by using it.

edit

I never noticed a smell with mine - I have the Silpat. My DH, of course, thinks the cookies taste different. The man also thinks green M&M's taste different than red ones... I cannot tell a difference, though. I like to use them for cut-outs...roll out the dough and cut them out, and no scrunched up cookies from moving them...but DH doesn't like 'em...so I don't use it much.

I've been using all 6 of mine for so long now that I can't remember if they had a funky smell in the beginning. I don't make cookies without them ever! I never use a bare cookie sheet there is always a silpat. I've made pizza, french fries, garlic bread etc. with no problem as well as cookies. Needless to say mine are very broken in.

Give a few mor chances to see if the funky smell goes away.

Re: SilPat

SilPat is the 'grand daddy' of silicone and uses surgical grade silicone in their (professional grade) products. If you have an authentic SilPat you don't need to worry about the 'cook off'

I agree with Cande....my silpats all say made in france...and on the other side...silpat.

we use them in school too...they are beigie yellow...and have a reddish brown band all around the outside..one side is smooth as a babies bottom and the other side..has a little biity texture.

Is your's like that?

Diva, That is how my is, maybe I should give it another try. I wondered if there was a "right" side and a "wrong" side.

the smooth side up..rough side down...don't know why it smells...strange...!??

Mine isn't SilPat brand, but otherwise Diva described it to a tee, it's even made in France. Hmmm... maybe I was just imagining?

I've had the same thing - my Silpat had a wierd smell and I thought the cookies I baked on them had a strange taste (but no one else did). THere is a kitchen store near me and when I was in ther one day I asked about it. They told me that it shouldn't smell and offered to exchange it for me with a new one - even though I didn't buy it there in the first place. Haven't used the new one yet...