National Cookie Day: Using BKF to Clean Up After Baking Cookies

December 4, 2024

Every year, National Cookie Day is held on December 4th. For many, including myself, the holidays without cookies are hard to do (more on that later).  Whether you purchase cookies at your local bakery or bake your own, your cookies are sure to be a hit at your next holiday shindig. 

When Did National Cookie Day Begin?

“In 1976, Sesame Street included National Cookie Day on its calendar for the first time on November 26th. The Cookie Monster also proclaimed his own National Cookie Day in the 1980 book The Sesame Street Dictionary. — National Cookie Day History

Cleaning Your Baking Sheet After Baking Cookies

Have you ever burned cookie dough on your baking sheet? I have. I usually do because somehow, I always get some extra dough on the pan—little spots between cookies that end up burning and turning a spot on the baking sheet brown. If you’ve done this, too, allow us to help you out:

How to Clean a Scorched Baking Sheet

1. Wet the baking sheet.
2. Sprinkle either The Original Powder Cleanser or Cookware Cleanser & Polish.
3. Rub it in with a soft, wet cloth.
4. Rinse it off with clean water.
5. Wipe dry.
6. Repeat as needed.

What Others Had to Say

“You know it, you love it. And if you don’t know it, you’re going to want to get acquainted. Bar Keeper’s Friend is pretty much the ultimate when it comes to giving cookware a like-new luster, especially stainless steel and aluminum. Just wet the baking sheet down with water, sprinkle over some BKF, and go to work with a sponge—you should see results right away. If you need some extra power, let the BKF sit for a few minutes before you scrub, and you’ll be amazed by how well it lifts away years of grime.” — Food 52 — How to Clean Cookie Sheets (Goodbye Grime!).

“For the powdered Bar Keepers Friend, we wetted one end of the sheet pan, poured out some powder, let it sit for one minute, and then went to work scrubbing for another full minute. We are not new to using the BKF powder, and it was working just as expected, scrubbing off the grease and burnt-on pieces of food with ease. After the full minute of scrubbing, we rinsed the cleanser off.” —  Gygi — Bar Keepers Friend: Sheet Pan Test.

“Bar Keepers Friend is always close at hand for Schiff. Heck, if BKF can remove discolored stains from stainless steel cookware, a crusty baking sheet will be no problem. Even the cleaning company’s website claims, “Bar Keepers Friend can remove burned-on sugar and oils and get you back in the baking business in no time.” — The Kitchen — 5 Smart Ways to Clean a Crusty Sheet Pan, According to Professional Bakers

Earlier, I said holidays without cookies are hard to do. Well, that’s because I’m diabetic – so one would imagine that cookies, even during the holidays, are a no-no for me. Sigh.

A few years ago, I was having oatmeal for breakfast with no sugar, a drop of unsalted butter, stevia, a spot of 2% milk, and a dash of cinnamon when a light bulb went off! Why couldn’t these same ingredients make a healthy, sugar-free cookie? After a few experiments, I found out they could!

My Sugar-Free Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Okay, so the truth is I don’t always measure the ingredients. I just throw them in the bowl and mix them until they’re the consistency of cookie dough.

• 2 to 2 ½ cups oatmeal
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup stevia or the sugar-free sweetener of your choice
• One egg
• ½ cup 2% milk
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

First, preheat your oven to 350°F while you thoroughly mix the dough. Next, use a tablespoon to dollop the dough on your cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Add your favorite healthy toppings, such as unsweetened coconut, cinnamon, nuts, or dried fruit. Experiment with the recipe and make it your own. Happy National Cookie Day!

Are you baking cookies for the holidays? What’s your favorite recipe? We’d love to hear from you. If you have photos, you can upload them here, especially if the cookies are on a shiny BKF-cleaned baking sheet.

Randy Clark is a speaker, coach, and author. He publishes a weekly blog at Randy Clark Leadership.com. Randy is passionate about social media, leadership development, and flower gardening. He’s a beer geek and on weekends (after COVID-19) he can be found fronting the Rock & Roll band Under the Radar. He’s the proud father of two educators; he has four amazing grandchildren and a wife who dedicates her time to helping others. Randy is the author of the Amazon bestseller The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management.