Cookie Pans

[Greg C.]

My daughter was looking over my shoulder while i was going through an auction site's cast iron and her eyes fixed on a teddy bear cast iron pan.
I picked it up for basically the shipping because she was so enamored of it.
She did all the rust removal after i got it out of the lye tank and even painted oil into every nook and cranny when we seasoned.
She was exited to try it this weekend so we swung by the store and picked up some sugar cookie dough (because I felt lazy) and it was an epic fail.
I oiled and floured cold, preheated the pan, but we had a heck of a time getting the cookies to release. When they did the cookies consistency (large bubbles underneath) made the shapes almost unrecognizable.... no detail.
I'm thinking maybe a shortbread recipe?
The consistency of the finished product might show the detail better?
Has anyone used these detailed cookie pans before with decent results? ....or are they merely decorative?
The cast is of poor quality.... is that the reason?

 

[Doug D.]

These types of pans are intended for use with something more batter-like, e.g. cornbread or gems/muffins, to be preheated, and to be liberally oiled. The bottom of the cookie dough in the preheated pan probably set before it had any chance to form to the shape. If I were to attempt to use cookie dough, I'd probably grease the unheated pan, then press the dough a bit into the cavities, then bake. I still think they might still likely end up with burnt bottoms and underdone middles, though.

 

[Greg C.]

The dough formed fine.... it was just the grain of the finished cookie was too bubbled to show any detail. I think something with a finer grain might work... I'll get back to you on that. :tasty:
As to this being for cornbread..... they failed miserably in the design process.
The depth of the mold would maybe hold a teaspoon of batter without it running over the mold.
I guess I assumed it was for cookies since the molds were so shallow.
I'll try some other recipes with a lot less sugar. :glutton:
....and if that doesn't work one can use me as a cautionary tale to stop people from letting an eight year old girl guide their cast iron purchases.

 

[MikeL]

I have one just like that that I picked up at the Thrift store, it still has the original sticker on it. Let us know if you get it worked out, I might have to make some cookies myself.