If you are shopping this holiday season for someone who loves to bake and cook then these gift ideas are practical, whimsical and, I hope, inspirational.
Now, more than ever, gadgets make working in the kitchen easier and a whole lot more fun.
Perhaps you know someone in your family who gets together with friends on a weekend before the holiday season to bake then swap batches of delicious cookies.
Have you noticed, everyone who bakes or cooks has a wish list even though you’re quite sure there can’t be room for another thing?
Well, here are 5 reasons how it happens.
1. Your hand-held blender no longer works because a piece of frozen banana got wedged under the blades and jammed the motor until it quit.
2. There’s a fantastic attachment you want to test out because this is the year you’re perfecting how to make home-made, organic sausages.
3. The scorch marks on your old oven mitt’s finally became holes and if it’s not replaced there’ll be no more hot meals.
4. Your apron shrunk in the last wash.
5. This amazing new recipe book will inspire greatness from our kitchen for years to come.
That’s how wish lists are made and kept, and I love them!
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Baking Essentials - gadgets
Because of my wish list, I can’t believe it but for the first time in my life, I’m now the super-excited, proud owner of a Kitchen Aid Classic Stand Mixer.
Wahoo! And I’m celebrating with a link at the end to the recipe for these awesome, scrumptious cookies. They are chewy soft in the centre with a little crispy edge and if you don’t love chocolate, they are easily substituted with almonds and raisins.
I also think this mixer is the most perfect, inspirational gift for anyone you know whose upcoming New Year’s resolution is including a healthy lifestyle change.
Your gift will be so appreciated.
Baking your own food means you also control the amount of sugar and salt in a recipe.
And imagine how much quicker and easier it is to make healthy cookie dough with a mixer!
Today, Kitchen Aid have made mixers significantly smaller and lighter which was the last excuse I needed to grab mine.
Kitchen Aid has come a long way since 1919.
I chose this 4.5 Qt size which makes up to 6 dozen cookies, and I’m thrilled with my choice. For my size kitchen, I can keep this on my counter.
CLICK HERE to see this at Amazon.
This same Kitchen Aide Mixer has 14 attachments for cooking!
The Kitchen Aide Mixer is not a cheap investment but what I love is, this gadget has 14 interesting attachments that will turn your mixer into a powerhouse designer in the kitchen.
You can now also make pasta, ravioli or even sausages . . . think, gluten – dairy – nut and sulphite-free, vegetarian or vegan spicy herbed sausages or patties . . . YUM!
With all of these attachments, you won’t be stuck on a gift idea for the next 14 years!
The quick-change discs in this attachment will press out 6 different pasta shapes; spaghetti, fusilli, rigatoni, bucatini, and large and small macaroni.
It’s an amazing gift idea for someone who already has a Kitchen Aide mixer.
Or, seriously – you may want to buy this for yourself!
Making your own pasta is gratifying and not difficult.
Imagine this season making gifts of homemade squash, mushroom or spinach pasta with a jar of homemade tomato garlic basil sauce!
CLICK HERE to see this at Amazon.
This attachment should also be on your wish list because these 3 drums are incredible for fast slicing and shredding.
The perfect solution when needing a lot of shredded cheese, or for when it’s pre-meal nibble time for hungry kids!
CLICK HERE to see this at Amazon.
I love this idea and it’s on my gift wish list because I don’t own a food processor and think, for the number of times I’d use one, this simple concept will make me happy.
Because my mixer stand is already on the kitchen counter, I’m more likely to grab this attachment than another big gadget.
CLICK HERE to see this at Amazon.
This was on my must-have list as it grinds nuts, dried fruit, chickpeas, meat . . . the possibilities are endless.
Here’s a great tip: with this attachment, you can control the amount of fat in your recipes.
When a recipe calls for ground chicken, pork or beef choose a lean piece of meat and grind it yourself!
I tested this grinder out the other day while making chicken prawn Thai balls and was impressed. The balls stayed in shape and didn’t fall apart.
Another tip: grab the all-metal grinder if possible (it gets better customer reviews)
CLICK HERE to see this at Amazon.,
Cooking Essentials - slow cookers!
Here’s another favourite appliance gift for the kitchen.
The slow cooker has changed so much and today they also help people with special needs and an ageing population – not to mention, we all love tech stuff!
Did you know CrockPot has a slow cooker with Blue Tooth technology?
All you need is a wi-fi connection and this slow cooker is easy to start, stop, or even turn your meal from LOW to HEAT.
What a great way to help out someone who is ill, needs daily living assistance, a neighbour or your parents while you’re out!
And, if you’re stuck in traffic, simply control the cooking with an app on your phone.
If you would like to learn more on slow cookers for people with disabilities CLICK HERE.
I’d recommend popping into their home in the morning to set up the slow cooker.
Layer up the ingredients then later control the cooking from your phone.
If they prefer their main meal at midday, you’ve got them covered.
Simply call ahead when their meal is ready and remind them to set the table. All they need to do is serve!
CLICK HERE to see this at Amazon.
Baking and Cooking Essentials - blenders!
I love my blender all year round.
The Vitamix is robust. I have gone through so many other brands of blenders and for some, all it takes for a burnt-out motor is a chunk of frozen fruit wedged beneath the blade.
This amazing kitchen gadget is pricey but here’s what it does: chops, grinds, blends, emulsifies (great for sauces) AND it heats. No more saucepans for making a sauce!
CLICK HERE to see this at Amazon.
Thank you for reading and clicking on these links to learn more!
I appreciate your time and hope you find a kitchen gadget that suits someone special in your life for this season’s holidays.
Now that I’ve sprinkled photos of these yummy cookies throughout . . . here’s why I’m sending you over to grab this recipe.
You’ll get 48 bite-sized cookies from one recipe, so get ready to share with friends, family and neighbours!
Love this recipe for cookie-swaps too.
They are chewy soft in the centre with a little crispy edge and if you don’t love chocolate, they are easily substituted with almonds and raisins.
CLICK HERE (or click on the photo below) to get your Walnut, Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe!
