Baking Gifts for Everyone!

Are you searching for the best gift(s) for your baking-loving friend for Christmas??? Oh wait, it's only September, isn't it?! Well, you can always spend money on someone you love, right? And why not cross them off your Christmas shopping list early - less to do later! (Special note to my family and friends: This is not a desperate attempt for me to get these things for Christmas. If I don't already own these items, I will probably buy them myself before December even arrives!)

Anyway, I've compiled a list of some great gift ideas for anyone who loves to stand in the kitchen for hours, slaving over the oven the oven and then painstakingly decorating the goodies just so you people can destroy it. *sweet smile*

1. From the makers of Cook's Illustrated comes this amazing book that leaps to the top of my list: Baking Illustrated! I love this book with a capital L! The people behind Cook's Illustrated have long been testing and perfecting all kinds of recipes, but this book focuses on breads, pizzas, cookies, cakes, pastries, crisps, cobblers, and pies. Not only do they give you perfected recipes, but they explain the science behind why their tricks work. You'll learn things you never knew about baking - even if you thought you knew it all already!


Oh, and while you're at it, enter their sweepstakes to win a full kitchen of America's Test Kitchen recommended cookware, small appliances, and gadgets. Hurry, contest ends September 30th!

2. Every baker needs cute clothes that tell the world "I LOVE TO BAKE!" Adam got me this bakelove shirt from Bakerella for my birthday, and I've almost worn it out already. Look, I even wore it for my birthday party! Oh, wait...you can't really see it well in those photos, but trust me, I was wearing it. Anyway, it's a super cute shirt and fits very flatteringly. The best part is it gets its point across in 1 word (...or is that 2 words squished together?...). Love to bake? bakelove!


3. Have you seen the blog Cake Wrecks? If you haven't, get your bum over there (after you finish reading this post, of course), and get caught up! On a whim, Jen Yates began blogging about hilariously disasterous cakes in 2008. Now, she has a huge following and has won lots of blogging awards. She is currently on tour with her first book of cake wrecks with "75% new wreckage." The book is sure to make anyone laugh (baker or otherwise)!


4. Nicole Weston, who writes Baking Bites, is also releasing her first book. I have not personally tried any of her recipes yet (although a bunch of them are on my long to-do list...I'll get to them one of these days!), but they look fabulous. Her book is comprised of almost entirely new recipes that you can't find on her blog. Check it out!


5. And last, but definitely not least, you can't go wrong with a book by Debbie Brown. I have quite a few of her books, and they're written with instructions that are very easy to follow. My favorite? I have to pick 2: