Bakey McBakerson

It's the season for baking! I love to bake, though my talent could only ever be classified as "moderate". Lack of talent notwithstanding, here I come bearing my favorite baking tools that I think everyone should have. They make the experience easier and more enjoyable for me:

1. A cookie dough scooper. They can be used to scoop many things, but they distribute the perfect amount of dough for a perfectly sized and perfectly shaped cookie. Mine is a Food Network brand scooper from Kohl's, but any not-extremely-cheap version would do, I'm sure.

2. Easy Read measuring cup set from Pampered Chef. At $23 for the three cup set it's a little pricey, but I haven't seen this style anywhere else. You read the measurements from inside/above the measuring cup, instead of from the outside. I love it. No more bending down to countertop level and squinting one eye to determine if I have the right amount of oil. Supremely convenient. http://tinyurl.com/pcmeasuringcups


3. Those silicone baking mats. My mother in law once tried to make me a fan of these and I would have none of it. Turns out, she was right. Whoda thunk? They're great, specifically for baking any kind of cookie. They lay like a thick layer of protection on a cookie shhet. And if you're lucky, you can still find pink silicone mats from October's breast cancer awareness retail extravaganza. Because, you know, everything is better when it's pink. Otherwise, any ol' color will do, I suppose.

And this is an item that I don't actually posess, but I covet. Adorable, yes? Surely my pie crusts would never burn if I wore this? I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish.







































Does anyone else have must-have ideas for baking? My husband does all the cooking, so if it's a cooking tool then that's lovely for you chefs, but I'm interested in just the baking-related stuff...