Introduction: Tools & Ingredients

About: Hi, I'm Jen! In my free time I'm a crafter, food lover, and cake decorator. I have a genuine love and appreciation for all things creative and handmade.

If you are just starting out, this list may seem extensive, but if you plan to bake consistently these are items that will be used over and over again in baking recipes. The following is a list of tools necessary to complete this class. Substitutions will be suggested throughout the class when available.

Mixing Bowls

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Rubber Spatulas

Microplane

Sifter or Fine Mesh Strainer

Cooling Rack

Small Saucepan

Mini Loaf Pan or Standard Muffin Pan

Hand Mixer and/or Stand Mixer

Cheesecloth

8 x 8 inch square pan (or 20 x 20 cm)

Parchment Paper

Food Processor

Egg Separator

Digital Scale

Oven Thermometer

Chef Knife

Cutting Board

Oven Mitt & Hot Pad

I have divided the following into separate ingredient lists for financiers and brownies. At the end of this class you will choose a recipe to complete. You are not required to buy the ingredients from both lists.

Financiers

Ultimate Brownies

Step 1: Explanation of Tools

In case you aren't familiar with all of the tools in the required list I've briefly explained each tool and their function(s) below. If you already have a good understanding of the tools used in baking feel free to blast through this section!

Mixing Bowls

Mixing bowls are essential to every bakers kitchen arsenal. In this class you will be using multiple size bowls for whipping and separating eggs, and sifting flour. I recommend using glass bowls. Plastic bowls acquire a film on them that makes it difficult to achieve beating egg whites to stiff peaks.

Measuring Cups

Any basic measuring cup set will serve you nicely in the kitchen. I don't own a six piece set like in the link, but I wish I did. It makes it easier to measure amounts that aren't in a traditional four piece set.

Measuring Spoons

Measuring spoons are essential for getting small amounts correct in recipes. When you use a measuring spoon you always want to make sure and level the ingredient to the top of the spoon.

Rubber Spatulas

Have you ever seen a cooking show where a chef is making some kind of dough or batter and doesn't scrap the last bits out of the bowl before throwing it in the oven? I have and it makes me crazy. I couldn't survive in the kitchen without rubber spatulas. I probably have 10 of them in various sizes and flexibilities. They are great for getting thin and thick batters out of bowls.

Microplane

Owning a microplane makes it easy to zest citrus fruits, spices, cheeses, and chocolate. As you can see in the photo a microplane is basically a handheld version of a cheese grater but with much smaller slicing blades.

Sifter or Fine Mesh Strainer

Fine mesh strainers have multiple uses in the kitchen but function well for sifting dry ingredients into wet ingredient in baking. A sifter accomplishes the exact same task as a strainer just in a different way.

Small Saucepan

Many baking recipes call for melted butter or melted chocolate so a small saucepan is a great tool to have around.

Hand Mixer

A hand mixer is a convenient tool that is small in size and easy to store. In baking it's used to mix batters, doughs, and whip egg whites, among other things. It saves your arms and hands from mixing a lot of strokes.

Stand Mixer

A stand mixer is an investment but is great for its versatility. It has the same basic functions as a hand mixer, but a stand mixer comes with a variety of attachments for mixing, whipping, and kneading. It can be upgraded with fancy attachments that will roll pasta, spiralize, grate, grind, make ice cream and more! It's great, not only for convenience, but for it's power! (I just sounded like an infomercial!!)

Cheesecloth

Cheesecloth is a type of loosely woven fabric that makes it great for straining liquids from solids. As it states in its name cheesecloth is traditionally used in cheese making, but for this class we will use it to make homemade butter!

Parchment Paper

You can purchase parchment in the same section where the waxed paper, plastic wrap, and aluminum foil are located in the grocery store. This is used as a liner so batters and doughs will not stick to the pan. It also acts as a barrier so items like cookies will not brown as much or as fast on the bottoms.

Food Processor

This medium sized kitchen appliance it great for whizzing ingredients into a smooth mixture. Most food processors also have a pulse button if you don't want your mixture completely smooth. In this class we will be using the food processor to make homemade butter! The one I link to is the one I personally own and it works great.

Egg Separator

This tool is nice to have but is not necessary to be able to separate eggs. There are many ways to separate eggs that will be covered in the Eggs Lesson in this class. An egg separator sits on the side of a bowl. You crack an egg into the separator and let the whites drain from the yolk.

Digital Scale

A digital kitchen scale is used to weigh ingredients (just like a scale to weigh your body only on a much smaller scale). There are many recipes that use amounts that are easiest to get correct when weighing. You simple place a bowl on the scale, zero it out (to cancel out the weight of the bowl) with the tare button, and add ingredients until you have the right amount.

Oven Thermometer

This is a nice gadget to have to ensure you are baking at the correct temperature. It is placed inside a preheated oven and give you an accurate reading of the temperature inside. You can make adjustments if the temp on the thermometer and the temp you have preheated to are not the same.

Chef Knife

Many recipes call for ingredients to be chopped (like chocolate, nuts, fruits, etc.) or for baked goods to be cut after baking (like brownies, bars, cakes, etc.). A large, very sharp chef knife is a good knife to have on hand for all your chopping needs. It's also great for cooking!

Cutting Board

Once you have a chef knife you will need something to use it on! I love Boos Block brand cutting boards but any good sturdy wooden cutting board will work.

Oven Mitt & Hot Pad

If you are going to be doing any baking you will want to have an oven mitt so you don't burn yourself when taking hot pans out of the oven. Hot pads are also nice to set the hot pans on so you don't ruin your countertop! I also recommend (and added in the photo) a good kitchen towel. You always need a kitchen towel!

Baking Pans

There are a ton of different baking pans one could own but some will be used over and over again in baking. If you are interested in becoming a successful baker I suggest starting out with a cookie sheet, cooling rack, 8 x 8 inch square pan, and a standard muffin pan. The mini loaf pan will be used to make financiers at the end of this class but a muffin pan will also work. Many pans on the market are non-stick which will make your life easier when trying to remove baked items from pans!

Step 2: Up Next: Lesson 3 — Fats

Before we get into actually making a recipe, we will discuss each major ingredient involved in baking in detail. Fats, sugars, eggs, flours, and leavenings. First up are Fats!