Instructions

1. Prepare the baking stone by coating it with cooking oil the first few times you use it. Alternatively, some manufacturers recommend that you cover all surfaces of your baking stone with refrigerator biscuit dough, place it in the oven and bake the dough. Both methods begin the seasoning process for your baking stone.

2. Preheat your oven as recommended in the cookie recipe you are using. Mix the dough as described in the recipe, and transfer it to the baking stone. This transfer will differ depending on the type of cookie you are baking. Drop cookies will require you to simply drop dough by the teaspoonful. If you are making cut-out cookies, roll the dough out first, cut the dough with cookie cutters and then transfer each cookie to the baking stone.

3. Place the baking stone full of cookie dough into the oven. Set a timer for the number of minutes recommended in your recipe.

4. Remove the baking stone from the oven when the cookies are done. Let them rest for 1 minute, and then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

5. Allow the baking stone to cool if you plan to make another set of cookies. Baking stones retain heat longer than metallic pans do, so this might take a while. If you do not wait, you risk your cookies spreading and melting before they even get into the oven.

6. Rinse the baking stone in tepid water after the stone has cooled. Do not use soap to clean stoneware. Scrape and wipe residue away with a flat plastic scraper or plastic abrasive pad. The fat that is left behind continues the seasoning process and will eventually leave the stone a dark color. This is normal and even desired.