Waxed vs. Parchment Paper

Waxed paper and parchment paper are not the same—parchment paper is heavier than waxed paper. But in many cases, the two can be interchanged. Waxed paper has lots of uses—loosely covering foods in the microwave to prevent spattering…catching foods such as cheese, chocolate or lemon zest while grating…and covering a countertop when rolling out cookie dough, to name a few. Parchment paper is used to line baking sheets and make it easier to remove delicate baked goods such as cookies, jelly rolls and meringues. It also can be used to create piping bags for cake decorating or pouches to hold in the juices of meats and vegetables during baking. (It makes cleanup a snap, too. Just toss the paper—there are no pans to wash.) Both types of paper can be used to line the interior of baking pans to prevent baked cakes from sticking to the pans.