Decorated cookies and holidays go hand-in-hand for many families. They are also great for birthdays and other celebrations throughout the year. If you’d like to get started with cookie decorating, there are a few tools you’ll want to pick up before you begin. If you bake frequently, you may already have some of the items on this list, but if you don’t have much cookie decorating experience, you’ll probably find that there are a few…
I often say that baking is both an art and a science, and this is particularly true when it comes to the world of cake decorating. Whether you’re making a simple batch of cupcakes for your child’s birthday party or a monumental wedding cake fit to serve two hundred guests, you need a combination of knowledge, experience, and artistic ability. You also need the right tools. Airbrushing can be an incredibly effective cake decorating technique…
Once you have been immersed in the world of baking, you may notice recipes calling for silicone baking mats to line sheet pans. What happened to using foil? What about parchment paper? Does just buttering a sheet pan no longer cut it? Silicone baking mats are popping up everywhere, and the more you bake, the more likely you are to debate buying one. So the big question is, are silicone baking mats worth it? Are…
When most of us think of baking, food processors aren’t usually the first kitchen appliance to come to mind. That’s understandable, but I’ve actually found that the right food processor can be really useful in baking. With a good food processor, you can knead dough quickly and easily. Likewise, making cake batter in the food processor can be simple and effective. I’m always looking for ways to save time in the kitchen, and I’ve found…
There’s nothing like the smell of homemade bread baking in the oven. Unfortunately, many of us don’t have the time it takes to bake fresh bread on a regular basis. With kneading, rising time, and then baking, a simple loaf of bread can require a few hours of our time. The good news, however, is that bread machines have improved substantially in recent years; many bread machines on the market today create loaves that are…
Cookie presses are a must have for kitchens that make big batches of cookies frequently. These are handheld gadgets that portion out soft cookie dough into an array of different shapes to give you more variety. While there are many brands and models to choose from, every cookie press shares some basic features. This includes a tube which holds the dough with a perforated shaping disc at one end and a handle at the other.…
If you have ever tried your hand at baking the simplest things such as cakes, cupcakes, cookies or tried mashing potatoes or making pancake batter, you know how handy a hand mixer can be. Hand mixers are most suitable for lighter, beating and mixing jobs or making things in smaller batches, rather than carting out heavy equipment. Some of the everyday tasks that you can perform in no time with a hand mixer include: Whipping…
Choosing which KitchenAid stand mixer to buy can feel a bit overwhelming for even the most experienced home baker. The variety of models and features available can seem intimidating at first, and it can be difficult to know which one is best suited to each individual’s specific wants and needs. Is the fanciest model the best one for me? Should someone who bakes lots of bread get the same mixer as the person who specializes…
