I really didn’t need to go to Bed Bath & Beyond, but I went anyway.
I mean who “needs” to go? It’s like Target. You really don’t need to and sometimes you really need to avoid it unless you want to find yourself a lot lighter in the wallet, but that’s another story.
I had a store credit at BB &B and a stash of 20% off coupons just burning a hole in my pocket. They never expire.
So I decided to venture into retail chaos but thankfully it wasn’t too crazy crowded since I went on a weekday.
I picked up another Silpat. I have one Silpat, and I have one FlexiPat, but prefer the results I get with my Silpat so picked up one more.
Nothing screams inefficiency like baking cookies one sheet at a time. But I’ve actually done that and hope to never do it again now that I will have two Silpats in rotation.
I could really tell the difference in my recent Dark Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cookies Stuffed with Chocolate Covered Strawberries that were baked on the Silpat vs. parchment paper vs. Flexipat. <– I prefer the results I got in that order.
I also got another cookie scoop. This $3.99 item has done more for my baking and overall cookie results than any other item. Highly recommended.
I’m bringing the new one to Aruba. I don’t care if I overheat the house by turning on the oven. I will be baking cookies. My theory is that Scott won’t mind about sweating buckets in a hot house after I serve him a few cookies. That’s my theory anyway.
My favorite spatula snapped in half a few weeks ago, and I grabbed the clear one with snowflakes as a replacement.
And how cute is all this egg-making paraphernalia. Too bad I don’t eat eggs. I bake with them but don’t eat them.
The pink egg stuff is sure adorable though.
I’m glad Skylar wasn’t with me or I would have had had peer pressure to buy pink things.
Secret: I’ve never decorated a cake, cupcake, brownies, muffins or anything with professional tools or frosting tips. The closest I’ve gotten for decorating is using a Ziplock bag with the corner cut off.
I thought for $8.49 less a 20% off coupon that I should change that major lapse in life experience and can now be christened into the cake-decorating club.
Any tips on using my tips?
I have also been loving making donuts!
Baked Chocolate Peanut Butter Donuts with Vanilla Peanut Butter Glaze
Baked Cinnamon Bun Donuts with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze
Baked Savory Cream Cheese & Herb Donuts
Baked Vanilla Donuts with Vanilla Glaze
My donut pan is the best $8 bucks I’ve spent in all of 2011.
(And the cookie scoop is the best $4 bucks)
Baked Chocolate Peanut Butter Donuts with Vanilla Peanut Butter Glaze anyone?
Great use of the cheapie donut pan.
I originally thought that a mini-donut pan would be a little too “fussy” to deal with and that trying to get the batter in those tiny holes without making a colossal mess and getting more batter in the wrong places than in the correct places would be too challenging.
But now that I have the hang of bigger donuts…
…I figure that I am ready to try making mini donuts!
Questions:
1. What’s on your baking supplies or kitchen items wish list?
Bigger ticket:
Cuisinart or Kitchen Aid food processor
Smaller ticket:
All those little knick-knacks and gadgets that are everywhere in BB & B. I think they’ve built a retail empire by selling gadgets and little trinkets.
Bowls, spoons, cute dishes, cute mugs and cups
I could spend a fortune. In this sense, I am glad I have a small kitchen and no where to store things. Prevents me from going too crazy with things I “need” or just “have to have”.
2. Any baking tools or supplies that you love?
As I said, I love my donut pan. I use the donut pan far more than the donut maker (appliance). I find it’s just as easy to bake donuts in a pan in the oven as it is to use the donut maker.
The drawback I find to the donut maker is that it can’t be submerged it in water so you have to be extra neat when making your donuts or you are left with a burnt-on, crusty mess to clean up. Not a huge issue provided you have a half a roll of paper towels to spare and don’t mind dealing with crumbs.
I also love my cookie scoop.
And if you use cake/cupcake decorating tools or tips, give me your tips on the tips.
For my other fave kitchen appliances and gadgets (the ones I love and the ones I find over-rated), check this post.
Happy Baking Season!
You can never have too many baking supplies! My food proc just melted (yes, MELTED) so I wouldn’t mind getting a new one. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to live with the Vita for now. ;)
well for your age, I think you’re doing mighty amazing with “just” a Vita :)
can’t believe your food proc melted?! whoa!
I have silpats on my xmas list – so glad to hear they’re your favorite!
That egg pod looks very cool. My gadget drawer runneth over as in jameth shut. I took a Wilton cake decorating class years and years ago….I’ll bet you can find some YouTube videos. It was really a lot fun making shells for borders and making roses and sweet peas, even learned to make 2 tier cakes! But cleaning up the Crisco frosting mess afterward…not so much. On your reccommendation I picked up a cookie scoop, haven’t tried it yet, but ’tis the season to get my arse in gear :D
hope you get it in gear…lol. :)
I have the cookie scoop and love it! I recently bought a whoopie pie pan but haven’t yet put it to good use…hopefully soon!
i *almost* bought the whoopie pie pan, too…but felt that would be a lil overkill. Glad you like the scoop too!
does a 36″ oven count as a “wish list” item? Cause I’d sell an ovary for one.
I love my mini bundt pan and viking mixer. It has some serious arse behind it.
Lol. I love that comment.
Viking Mixer? Whoa. Hard.core. love it!
I found another brand called Cuissential Slickmat available at Amazon for $17.99. Has anyone tried this brand? I was going to purchase one until I seen this article on Silpat. Hmmmm. Which one should I get? On my wish list I could use a Breville panini press.
I think Silpat is a gold standard and is essentially the same price as the one you mention, within a few bucks…and use a coupon at BB & B
What an awesome list!
Thanks, Alison :)
Those cookies look good! I’m really excited for my Glass Dharma glass straw order. :) My foodie wish list: Vita-Mix (bwahahaha, expensiiiiiiiiive!), a spiraler, a magic bullet (though I’d be fine with just a Vita-Mix) and cute little ramekins. :)
I love my Glass Dharma…forgot to mention that. Use it all the time!
So I haven’t come to say hi for awhile, so hello! Also, THOSE COOKIES LOOK AMAZING!
I can attest to the inefficiency of making cookies on one sheet. I had to make about 6 dozen caramel stuffed apple cider cookies for 3 Halloween parties in a row, and it took me all morning just to get them all baked! I’m kind of cheap sometimes, but I don’t know why I didn’t just take 20 minutes and $10 to run out and buy a 2 pack of cookie sheets on sale. Learned my lesson.
hi and thanks for checking in!! and yes the inefficiency thing…BTDT, and ready to NOT do it again!
I love any kind of kitchen gadget, its my weakness not shoes, purses, or clothes. I definitely avoid Bed, Bath, and Beyond because I would spend too much money in there. I have been wanting a cookie scoop, donut pan, and want a mini cupcake pan.
Now I want to go shopping!! I think I only have big ticket items on my list – like a really good blender and a good toaster oven, but I would love a Silpat as well!!
I got a silpat about 4 or 5 months ago. LIFE CHANGER! How amazing is it to not have to deal with parchment paper anymore. I love being able to take the silpat off and literally not even have to clean the baking sheet, just right back into the cabinet it goes! A donut pan is on my “list” and has been forever now. I hardly ever venture into BB&B but I’ve got about 15 20% off coupons in my car for when I do!
yes LIFE CHANGER. Between the Silpat and the scoop, it’s a life changer. The difference in results is night. And day. It’s like running in cross trainers. Or in football cleats. You wouldn’t think it could make that much of a diff in the overall experience…but it does!
A couple of silpats are definitely on my wish list, as well as a spiralizer for veggies.
I agree about the donut pan. By far, it was one of my best kitchen purchases this year and mine was less than $15 from Crate & Barrel.
yes and your donuts make me…happy!
read your on-site reply about your time in SF and how your family and home was in Boston and it all makes sense…and I love SF but couldn’t ever live IN the city. It’s just too cold and concretey for me. Our friend in Marin is where it’s at. We’d have to win the lottery to live there though…and it’s still…too chilly compared to San Diego!
Unless I’m looking for a specific item and I confirm that they have it with a phone call, I hate going to Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Maybe it’s the lighting or the shelving or something; not sure why, but their displays look so unappealing to me. As opposed to Target or Sur la Table or Williams-Sonoma, where I can casually pass by the kitchen doohickey rack and immediately see 10 things I want, even when it’s the exact same stuff as 3-B!
Have fun with the cupcake decorating! You should photographically document your skill progression. (That means I want to see the early, not-so-good results that look more like my decorating efforts than the amazing confections I see on the internet.)
I used to feel that way, too, but somehow got over the lighting and retail chaos. I still feel that way about Sam’s or Costco which is probably a good thing that I dont venture in.
Cake decorating progress pics…I’ll try!
Oh man, now I want to go shopping!
I could spend forever in there just staring at the gadgets. Love my spoonulas. The kitchenaid is high on my wish list along with a mini-food processor. I have a large one, but sometimes it’d be nice to not have to pull that one out for smaller projects.