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Kitchen Gear Every Cookie Baker Needs

I've baked cookies for well over 30 years, starting with my Easy Bake oven when I was a little kid. There are ways to make things happen in the kitchen without wasting your money on a bunch of gadgets, but some of them just really save you a lot of time and clean up.

For the longest time I scoffed at people who used a cookie dough scoop, but then I got one for Christmas and now I need to, erm, eat my words. The cookie scoop that John bought me is around 1 ounce, which is perfect for a decently sized cookie. Why do you need one?

In the time that it takes me to individually scoop out a dozen cookies, I could fill two trays with the scoop. We're all busy, right?

No more having the kids arguing over who grabbed the bigger cookie because they will all be the same size anyway. Also, if you are weirdo like me, it will make you happy to have all your cookies looking, well... perfect.

You may scoff at this one. What clean up? You have a spoon or a scoop. The clean up is the same, you say. Actually, no. I tend to get all sticky and covered in batter when I'm scooping out with a spoon. It's messier and if I need a free (and clean) hand to answer a phone then I'm not looking for a dishcloth or something to wipe my hands on, first.

So, where can you find a good cookie scoop? You can pay a bunch of money at a kitchen shop, or look for a restaurant supply place and get one for a pretty cheap price. Mine was from Hendrix in Abbotsford, for about $13.  You can get all different sizes, so if you really want to go completely wild, get one in every color and size. I'm already scoping out a few other sizes, just because I can.

Do you have a kitchen gadget you love? Posted by Karen Humphrey at Saturday, January 04, 2014 Labels: Tips and Tricks