Holiday baking is upon us! To know me is to know that I absolutely LOVE baking - the "sugar" in "Shenandoah Sugar" is a nod to my love of baking, and my maiden name is Baker, so I feel like it's in my blood! Baking is one of my favorite things about the holidays, I really enjoy making pies for Thanksgiving, and hundreds of cookies at Christmastime to share with my friends and family. Today I'm sharing my can't-live-without baking tools, which would also make great Christmas, wedding, or housewarming gifts!
- Stand mixer: If you're serious about baking, then you know this is one tool that is 100% worth the hype! I definitely couldn't live without my KitchenAid mixer, whether it's for mixing thick cookie dough or kneading dough for cinnamon rolls or bread. I grew up using my mom's (which I think is older than I am!) and every baker I know swears by theirs.
- Hand mixer: As a complement to a stand mixer, I love having a hand mixer for things like whipped cream, batter, and frosting. Obviously you can use a stand mixer for those things as well, but it's nice to have the hand mixer for smaller jobs.
- Apron: Aprons get a lot of use in my house! I love this tartan plaid one for the holiday season. My bridesmaids got me a monogrammed one similar to this one as a wedding gift and it's my absolute favorite!
- Ingredient containers: These are my favorite containers for storing dry ingredients. I have this set and I use one for all-purpose flour, one for granulated sugar, one for brown sugar, and one for chocolate chips.
- Liquid measuring cups: Glass Pyrex liquid measuring cups are my favorite because they're inexpensive, easy to find (I often see them at thrift stores), durable, and heat-safe.
- Measuring cups/spoons: You have to have a good set of measuring cups and spoons! There are a lot of cute ones out there that aren't necessarily practical, so I'm linking a good stainless steel set that will last you forever.
- Mixing bowls: I got this ten-piece mixing bowl set as a wedding gift and I've gotten so much use out of it! Along with mixing bowls of assorted sizes, I also recommend having a large liquid measuring bowl that has a handle on the side for mixing dry ingredients or batter, or measuring large quantities of liquid ingredients.
- Spatulas: The OXO brand spatulas are my favorite because of their stiffness. I usually use this one, but this spooned one is also a staple.
- Baking sheets: I'm not super picky about baking sheets, but I do believe you should invest in ones that will last you. I always line my baking sheets with parchment paper rather than greasing them, so they don't necessarily need to be nonstick. I like ones without edges for baking cookies and ones with edges for smaller things like roasted vegetables.
- Cookie spatula/brownie cutter: This one kills two birds with one stone, and it's a must for me! I find having a smaller designated cookie spatula very helpful to pick up cookies with more precision, and this one is also perfect for cutting and serving brownies and bars.
- Glass baking pans: Speaking of Pyrex, I also love their glass baking pans. This is a great set with all of the basic sizes, plus a lid for the 13x9 pan which is helpful for storage and traveling with a dish.
- Whisks: Regular whisks are a must for mixing dry ingredients, and I also love having a silicone whisk to mix things like sauces and brown butter in a skillet that you want to make sure not to scratch.
- Cookie scoop: A cookie scoop is a great tool to make sure your cookies are uniform and bake evenly. This one comes in three different sizes, I have the medium one and I think that's the perfect size for your "everyday" cookie, ha.
- Offset spatulas: These are perfect for smoothing out batter in a pan, or icing cakes and cookies! They're so much easier to frost with than a regular straight knife or rubber spatula.
- Cooling racks: Last but not least, cooling racks! You have to give baked goods ventilation underneath as they cool so that they maintain their ideal texture and cool more quickly. Cooling racks are also good for placing glazed or fried items on top of so that the excess glaze or oil can drain without pooling around your confections.
While we're talking holiday baking and with Thanksgiving coming up next week, I have to share one of my family's favorite Thanksgiving traditions - serving French silk pie! Everyone does pumpkin pie and pecan pie for Thanksgiving and we always make those too, but French silk pie is always the star of the show. It started out as my brother's favorite pie, and eventually just became something we made for Thanksgiving. There is never any left after dinner, so we've started making a backup so my parents and brother and I can still enjoy it for the next few days. 😂 We've used a few different recipes over the years, but my go-to is Sally's Baking Addiction's recipe - it's simple and doesn't contain raw eggs, which a lot of French silk pie recipes do. We also like using graham cracker crust for it, it makes it even better! If you've never tried French silk pie you MUST, I promise you will love it and it pairs PERFECTLY with a cup of coffee.
xoxx, Laura
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