More Gift Ideas for Bakers

If you read my first gift guide for bakers, you might have noticed that I stuck to general, all-around baking tools. This time around, I'll focus on gifts for niche and specialty bakers.

Cake Decorating Stand: Anti-slip (so you don't have to chase it across the counter), aluminum, heavy-duty and smooth turning. Plus, it comes with some spatulas and icing combs. Note: You probably shouldn't run it through the dishwasher.

Cake Decorating Kit: This set has a nice selection of smaller size tips and textures for icing roses, leaves, drop flowers, shells,basketweave, swirls and filling pastries. Some reviewers have complained that the case doesn't arrive intact. I have to confess that I think those cases, no matter what brand you buy, are a waste of space.

Cupcake Decorating Kit: This set offers large tips for frosting cupcakes

Cake Leveler: This one offers 2 wires to allow you to split a cake into even thirds, in one pass. Yes, you can split a cake with a knife, but it take practice to do it well.

Bread Proofing Baskets: Two shapes and a few nice-to-haves including a dough scraper.

Kitchen Scale: Because some recipes require precise measurements, and weighing ingredients like flour is much more reliable than measuring by volume.

Marble Rolling Pin: I purchased my marble rolling pin over 30 years ago, and I love it for rolling out dense dough that requires a little extra force.

Silicone Pastry Mat: These are handy for helping you roll dough to the diameter you need, and they don't stick to the dough. Much. I used this a lot for making wedge-shaped scones in the tea room.

Silicone Cookie Baking Mat: These are not a necessity, but I find they help me evenly space and flatten the dough for my almond cookies to a uniform size.

Cake Display Stand: You may think I'm crazy, but I prefer acrylic to glass for this. The acrylic is much lighter weight, and much less likely to meet a tragic and dangerous end when being carried or washed. Ask me how I know!

Macaron Kit: This is a nice set. Just be aware that macarons can take a lot of practice to master, so take the recipient's age and baking experience into account.

Raised Glass Measuring Cup: Because eventually, paint will come off in the dishwasher, but marks molded into the glass, won't.

What not to buy: It's probably safe to say that most bakers already own more aprons than they'll every be able to wear out. Unless you're buying a gift for a new baker or a baker who collects apron, I'd give them a miss.