The Gear You Need for Christmas Baking
Updated: Nov. 12, 2020Is your kitchen ready for the holidays? Make sure you've got our must-have baking gear before you start stirring up your next batch of cookies.
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Spare Mixing Bowl
When you’re whipping up batch after batch of cookies, you don’t want to pause to wash your mixer bowl or wait for the dishwasher to finish its cycle. Instead, snag an extra bowl for your KitchenAid stand mixer. You’ll get plenty of use out of it during the most wonderful time of the year (and serious bakers will probably reach for their spare regularly).
Holiday Spices
So many of our favorite holiday treats get a lift in flavor from spices like cinnamon (did you know there are different types?), ginger, cardamom and more. Make sure your spice rack is filled with the flavors you need for baking. And don’t miss our list of must-have holiday spices selected by spice pros.
Cookie Press
Spritz cookies are a must in any holiday cookie tin. Make sure you’re prepared to make a few batches with an easy-to-use cookie press. In our experience, this one from OXO is a cinch to use for making dozens of cookies; see how it compares to vintage versions.
Extra Cooling Racks
A holiday kitchen is a busy one. Don’t waste your time shuffling cookies to and from a single rack. Invest in a few extra wire racks so you can bake to your heart’s content without extra hassle.
Tiered Cooling Rack
In addition to a few more wire racks, you might want to invest in a tiered rack to save counter space. This convenient caddy holds up to four sheets of cookies in the space you’d normally need for one. This is a must for big-batch baking.
So Many Sprinkles
Decorated cookies are a huge part of the holidays. A Christmas cookie tray just isn’t the same without them. This holiday season, don’t settle for the basic nonpareils and jimmies from the supermarket—try some fun sprinkle blends like these from Fancy Sprinkles. You can use them to decorate your gingerbread houses, too!
Embossed Rolling Pin
Sure, you have your trusty rolling pin for making pie crust and cutout cookies, but have you seen an embossed rolling pin before? This etched tree rolling pin gives your cookies a cute design without having to do a stitch of decorating. Use with shortbread, gingerbread and other cutout cookies.
Extracts
Make sure you have all the flavorings you need for fantastic cookies before you settle into the kitchen. This holiday package from Nielsen-Massey includes the three most popular baking extracts for the season: almond, peppermint and vanilla.
Cookie Tins
We know you’re not baking all those cookies for yourself! Share the love with some affordable and adorable cookie tins.
Fresh Cocoa Powder
While cocoa powder does have a long shelf life, it does lose potency over time. Make sure your holiday bakes are their chocolatiest with a fresh jar of cocoa powder. And before you buy, read up on the difference between cocoa powder and Dutch cocoa.
Oversized Spatula Scoop
When you’re baking so often, you don’t have time to scoop individual cookies off the pan with a teeny tiny spatula. Grab an oversized spatula to do the job instead! This tool is perfect for lifting a half-dozen cookies off your sheet pan at once. You can also use it to scoop up snack mixes, caramel corn and other treats.
Edible Luster Powder
If you want to give your bakes a touch of glitz, try edible luster dust. Use a soft brush to gild your bakes with a touch of shimmer. It’s simple to use and adds plenty of pizazz to cookies, cakes and candies.
Concentrated Food Coloring
To get the saturated reds and greens of the season, you can’t settle for supermarket food dye. Instead, invest in some concentrated paste or gel food coloring, like this set from Wilton. Your reds will be true Christmas red and the greens the shade of a pine tree—no pastels here!
Nordic Ware Pine Forest Bundt Pan
Bundt cakes are a hit all year, but you can give your favorite Bundt recipes some holiday flair just by switching up the pan. This pine tree-shaped pan from Nordic Ware is just the thing to transform your go-to chocolate-cherry Bundt cake recipe. Be sure to dust the top with confectioners’ sugar so it looks like it just snowed.
A Heavy-Duty Apron
Holiday baking season is when bakers kick it into high gear. When you’re spending all weekend in the kitchen making cookies, bread and candies, the last thing you need is to splash melted butter all over your clothes. Protect your favorite ugly Christmas sweater and suit up for baking with a quality apron. Aprons from Hedley & Bennett are designed by chefs so you know they’ve got the features you need for marathon baking: durable fabric, fully adjustable ties and a convenient phone-sized pocket so you can keep your recipes handy.
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