The end of 2020 was really weird. The impending holidays were kind of exciting, but equally terrifying in terms of figuring out how to handle it — or not — with family obligations. I could feel a bigger sense of seasonal affective disorder closing in because not only was it going to be cold and dark, but it would keep me from the only daily escape I had, a walk around the neighborhood or river front. I fell into food ruts, trying to eat things from the pantry to a bit of an extreme instead of going to the grocery store.
But I indulged myself a little in the last few months with some new kitchen tools I've been wanting for a while, and a few impulse purchases that have helped to energize my creativity in the kitchen. On New Year's Eve 2019, I sort of hate to admit it but I spent part of my evening working on this blog instead of doing anything New Years-y. We aren't NYE people really, what with the cold and the cops working too hard to try and catch people in crimes, and the staying up late. So I didn't feel shortchanged, I felt invigorated with possibility. I wanted to see this blog grow and change in big ways in 2020. In some ways it did, but like everyone at the end of 2020, my motivation wilted.
A new year is always a fresh clean start for me, and here I am blogging away! I want to share some of my consumeristic indulgences that made me feel alive again. They got my mind cranking, and they are the basis of inspiration for upcoming content in this year 2021.
Cream Horn Cone Molds
I can't recall what made these come to mind, as I've never actually had a cream horn until I made my own. I've had it's tubular cousin, cannoli. But I ordered a set of 5" cream horn molds and have enjoyed testing out the conical shapes, beginning with easy cream horns from pre-made puff pastry.
They are easy to use, especially when you wrap them in aluminum foil first to help with de-molding the cones from the pastry. I've got some decidedly non-traditional uses for them coming up soon, so grab some now and practice with them ahead of time to get comfortable with cream horn molds.
Baguette Baking Tray
If you've ever wanted to bake baguettes, get a gently curved tray that keeps their shape as they bake! This thing is a game changer for sure for baking bread. It works on French baguettes, Italian loaves, and any long bread you may want to make. I've made bread for bahn mi, and softer bread for grilled cheese sandwiches thanks to this tray. Between a cold winter and staying inside during a pandemic, there's no better time to practice your bread baking skills than now.
Kitchen Torch
This was a total impulse purchase I finally pulled the trigger on in the autumn. The first thing I did with it was toast a marshmallow inside, with total ease. I had been using a regular lighter to toast marshmallows but this does this job much more efficiently. It also works great for creme brûlées, adding crisp brown spots to baked macaroni and cheese, and lighting candles at the table when no one else has a lighter on hand.
Silicone Pastry Bags
I was pretty dubious about these things but I hate seeing piles of wasted disposable plastic piping bags in the trash after a serious cookie decorating session. But I was incredibly surprised when they fit my Wilton icing tip couplers and metal piping tips! The various sizes of bags were really helpful too. The bigger ones are great for piping cream or deviled egg filling, while the smaller ones are better for small amounts of royal icing on sugar cookies. I will be using these a lot, and probably even buying another set soon too.
If you want even more info, I am planning to do a more in depth post on these later this month.
Enormous Cutting Board
I bought this to double as a second work surface for big jobs like rolling out dough and as a place to put homemade pasta. But really and truly, I bought it to put on my primary work surface — my granite counters — so I wouldn't have to do as thorough of a scrub and wipe down before I started working on a dough project. This way, I can put the big cutting board down, flour the surface, and roll away. There's no worry about staining the counter with buttery dough or dark colored icing now. I highly recommend getting the biggest cutting board your cabinet can hold. This one is 18" x 24", a thicc boi.
What are your favorite kitchen tools, whether they are incredibly useful like this giant cutting board, or obscurely fun like the cream hold molds?
