Aw Nuts! How Do I Clean My Stone??

[Intrepid_Chef]

I bake a lot of cookies at Christmas time and share some of them with my siblings and others. I was really looking forward to using my PC products in the kitchen this year, including my newly acquired small scoop, mix & chop, cookie press and of course ... my bar pan. I was looking forward to seeing how some of my tried and true recipes baked on this thing.

Well, I started with Peanut Butter cookies and popped some on my stone and then thought, WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING?

Because my thoughts immediately turned to Bradley, my 9-year-old nephew, who has a life-threatening allergy to peanuts and tree nuts.

When I baked for my sister's house, I am obsessive and don't even bake nut-containing cookies on the same day as hers. Everything is washed carefully with soap and water before it is used to produce nut-free baked goods.

Try as I may, I know of no reliable way to remove nut oil from my baking stone. I don't trust water to do it.

Does anybody know a way I can do this without ruining the stone completely? I've heard something about baking soda and then re-seasoning. Any tips would be so I can use the stone next year. I do not have time to re-season my stone now.

 

[PamperChefCarol]

I think this is a question for the HO. Email them and ask.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Maybe do a double layer of parchment paper on it, so that the oils from the stone don't make contact with the cookies?

BUT - that is just a suggestion - not sure how feasible it is with a severe nut allergy.

 

[dianevill]

Definitely call HO. I wouldn't take any chances...

 

[chefkristin]

Whoa! I never thought that the nut oils could sink in. My nephew is also allergic.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

The first time he reacted to a peanut, he took a bite of a pb cookie. The first time he reacted to a TREE NUT, my sister was eating walnuts and feeding him bites of apple. He reacted to the oil on her hands!

So when people bake her cookies, she does not let him have any of them, because even if the cookie does not have nuts, she does not know how careful they are in their kitchen.

Anyway ... my problem with my choc chip cookies is they flatten and become crispy. (I think it is a combo of the recipe and my oven.) I just baked some white chocolate macadamia cookies (not bound for sis' house) and had the same problem whether they baked on the stone or the airbakes.

I'd hate to think that the oils from a year ago are still on the stone next year ... but it could happen.

 

[chefann]

I do remember that having a separate stone for the food-allergic was mentioned as a selling point for the small round stone when it came out. (You can mark the bottom of one with a ceramic paint pen.)I gotta jump on the "call HO" bandwagon on this one. They'll probably be pretty slow next week.

 

[riggs62]

My son is also highly allergic to nuts. We found out about 10 months ago. Prior to that I'm SURE I have made peanut cookies on my stones. I haven't even thought about it until this thread.
I do use a seperate bar pan from my home piece for the carmel nutty brownies at shows. But in retrospect, he's never had a reaction to anything I"ve made on the other pan. It is however highly seasoned and I clean it with baking soda every time. But as a mother with a child with a food allergy, I definitely wouldn't take the chance. After the first reaction, the next one can cause anaphylactic shock and death. I'm sure you know how serious it is considering it's your nephew. I wouldn't take any chances regardless of what HO says. I would get a small round or bar pan to make his cookies on every year. That way you can rest assured he will be safe Just my 2 cents!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

My son is also highly allergic to nuts. We found out about 10 months ago. Prior to that I'm SURE I have made peanut cookies on my stones. I haven't even thought about it until this thread.
I do use a seperate bar pan from my home piece for the carmel nutty brownies at shows. But in retrospect, he's never had a reaction to anything I"ve made on the other pan. It is however highly seasoned and I clean it with baking soda every time. But as a mother with a child with a food allergy, I definitely wouldn't take the chance. After the first reaction, the next one can cause anaphylactic shock and death. I'm sure you know how serious it is considering it's your nephew. I wouldn't take any chances regardless of what HO says. I would get a small round or bar pan to make his cookies on every year. That way you can rest assured he will be safe Just my 2 cents!

I think that is very good advice!

 

[pclinskie]

This came up a couple years ago with my customer, HO says use SEPARATE
stones!!!

 

[Sallie_M]

thanks for this thread One of my newest consultants has 2 young children, each with nut allergies, but each one to different nuts...

Re: HO being slow this week, someone answered in less than 1 minute for me today

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

I didn't even know they'd answer the phone today ... I did e-mail the test kitchens but am not expecting a quick response.I have already been thinking about getting a second stone anyway (or two!) but probably not a bar pan. Probably a flat stone of some sort. That way I can tell them apart!

 

[schel]

Hmmm.... Kind of makes me want to purchase a few more frequently used stones for shows in Jan. "just for without nuts stones" to have on hand...

 

[elizabethfox]

It says in the catalog that the stoneware is "virtually non-porous, so it doesn't retain oils, odors, or flavors."

So I would assume from reading that that the nut oils should not be on the stone after a cleaning, right? But then I read that HO said to use seperate stones....Hmmm....then maybe they shouldn't say it doesn't retain oils, if they don't believe it enough and want you to use seperate stones. Or maybe they just want you to use seprate stones, so they make more sales?? ROFL

 

[schel]

I would be safe and use a stone with no nut contact what so ever!
I am a nurse and see allergies of all types. My cousins wife can't even be in the same room with the shrimp bag opening or her throat will close up.
I also remember about a year ago on the news here in Minnesota, a highschool girl kissed her boyfriend after he had eaten a peanut butter sandwich died from anaphylactic shock from nut allergies. Some people have that bad of allergies. I always make sure to ask if anyone has nut allergies at shows before anyone digs in or I prep at shows.
Just the nurse in me coming out I guess.
Schel

 

[erinb]

Anyway ... my problem with my choc chip cookies is they flatten and become crispy. (I think it is a combo of the recipe and my oven.) I just baked some white chocolate macadamia cookies (not bound for sis' house) and had the same problem whether they baked on the stone or the airbakes.

It's the margarine that we use. It has so much water to it anymore that most of your drop cookies will turn out this way. I use butter flavored Crisco in place of the margarine....what a difference!!

 

[chefann]

Actual margarine should be OK, but "spread" has way more water than margarine or butter. If you're using a product (even in stick form) that says "spread" or "70% oil" on the box, then there's too much water in it and you'll get poor results when baking and cooking with it.