Here, has some links (also baking)

[rthstewart]

There are some super smart, savvy folks who are aggregating useful info about DW and how to make it a little more like Tumblr.  I saw the other day that  branchandroot had some things about mobility sites and I saw a g-doc go by on Twitter and then umadoshi  went and put together a handy set of tabs and links.  Also this super helpful comm from two people I've been following for awhile fictional_fans 

In other news, my niece attempted to bake a cake over the weekend and I got frantic texts about 7 inch cakes pans (seriously, who has a 7 inch cake pan much less 2?) and her discovery that substituting coconut oil for butter will result in things tasting like coconut (SURPRISE) and that in fact that "sugar in the raw" is not substitutable for icing/confectioners sugar.  I'm trying to figure out a way to put together a baking box for her for Christmas without spending a fortune.  If you were advising a beginning baker who has NO equipment, what do you think she needs (forgive the American measurements)?

My essential list which is a list of some things to buy and some things I can give her

• electronic scale in grams and ounces (this is the high ticket item but when you think about it, is cheaper than buying measuring spoons and cups and it's a really good discipline)
• parchment paper
• one cupcake pan (I have 4 and can give her one)
• Rimless cookie sheet (I really don't want to part with one of my four but maybe I should... oh gawd no I can't)
• 2 8 inch round pans
• 1 8 inch square pan 
• 1 13X9X2 pan ( have 4... maybe I can give her the older one that isn't too gross)
• small loaf pan
• handheld mixer (I have an extra)
• Print outs of easy recipes with my handwritten notes on them.

I'd love to give her some basic spice ingredients, too, but getting good quality is expensive and I mean, I've got nielsen massey vanilla bean paste on my Xmas list).  I"m really torn about the pans.  You need good pans and I just don't like the idea of spending money on stuff that warps.  OTOH she doesn't need the higher quality stuff and buying all this can get expensive too.

I've got a number of quarter and half sheet pans I'd be happy to part with but I find I don't actually use them because their sizes are not super convenient for what I do and they have rims, so I don't use them for cookies and they aren't deep enough for cookie bars/brownies.

I thought about giving her baking book  -- Rose has a new baking basics book, but I think some personally culled recipes picked for their ease makes more sense.  She would need the book for how tos and understanding but I doubt she'd sit down and read a baking book the way I would and thsoe books can get SO emphatic.  (BTW, I did the apple walnut cake recipe that's provided for free.  It was super good and I've now managed caramel 3 times following Rose's recipes without so much as a burn.  I'm really happy about that) 

King Arthur Flour brownie (from their cookbook, not the website but this is close)
Alton Brown Chewy Chocolate Chip
Better Homes and Garden Quick Bread (can be modified orange, lemon, tangerine, omit poppy seeds)
King Arthur classic one pan chocolate cake
Basic no-knead bread
Classic carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (no particular recipe in mind; I'm going from memory of what I used to bake back in the 70s)

Comments

[the_rck]

I strongly recommend baking parchment for making cookies and biscuits and such. We have pans that burn everything without parchment but are perfectly good with it. I know some people use it when baking bars, but I prefer not to.

Of course, I also have difficulty with washing pans, so I prefer a disposable liner.

[brokenallbroken]

I was going to suggest a giant roll of aluminum foil for nearly the same reasons. "Number of dishes I must wash at the end" is a significant barrier to my willingness to cook.

[rthstewart]

There's a comment below about buying parchment from a supply store and... I might need to do that.

[autumnia]

Maybe a whisk, spatula, measuring spoons? Was gonna suggest a mini food processor or a rolling pin if not too heavy or expensive.

Oh, and maybe a good strainer for sifting flour, etc.... And a (candy?) thermometer?

[rthstewart]

I'm trying to not spend a lot of money. I've dredged up some pans I don't like/don't use and will give her those. I'm going to spend the money for a kitchen scale. I will probably keep the new one for me and give her my old one. In my experience, candy and caramel melting are not a great place to start out. A thermapen is essential and I use it for EVERYTHING. OH WAIT I HAVE AN EXTRA INSTAREAD... MAYBE? When you're in the food safety business, you tend to get them handed out like pens and pads of paper at industry events.

[marmota_b]

I've been baking stuff for years and don't have a thermometer and don't do that and I'm fine. Definitely not a necessary item. :-)
Rolling pin, on the other hand... although that may depend on how much of American cookie baking actually requires it. Czech Christmas cookies definitely do...

P.S. It can be a bit cultural, on the whole. I can do with a little because I can do with a lot of equipment-light yeast-based baking. But on the other hand, culturally, I couldn't do with rimless baking sheets only, because cuts are a Thing.

[brokenallbroken]

Some of Penzey's gift boxes aren't too dear if you're looking for a spice starter kit.

[rthstewart]

It's probably over but Penzy's was giving away $50 gift cards for $35. I love them. Except for vanilla, which is great, but I love the Nielsen bean paste variety more.

[gingicat]

Are you near a good restaurant supply store such as Restaurant Depot or Paper & Provisions? We basically have a lifetime supply of parchment paper due to temporarily having an RD membership.

[rthstewart]

that's a really good idea....

[adaeze]

If I were putting together kit for a complete beginner, I'd probably go with fewer tins, as they take a lot of space and the more bulky stuff in cupboard, the more guilt trips about not using it all enough. (Says the woman with a 7" cake tin).

And because a comment isn't a good comment unless it contains at least one self-contradiction, are balance scales a Thing in the US? Take up more space than electronic scales, but they are great fun to use.

[rthstewart]

Balance scales are not a thing in the U.S.. or at least not in my kitchen. What I love about it is that it toggles between grams and ounces, so 4 oz or 113 g butter, back to 121 grams of King Arthur AP flour, back to 7 ounces granulated sugar and wow, there is no consistency in brown sugar at all, with variations of between 7.5 to 8 oz. I've used 8 oz for years based on a King Arthur cookie book and then changed it somewhere along the line to 7.5 oz/213 g.

[marmota_b]

I love electronic scales, and wish I had them in my current abode - sometimes, when I'm recalculating and making smaller batches, they really, really do come in handy!

[metonomia]

I think this is so sweet! Such a lovely aunt to niece gift. I agree that you shouldn’t buy many pans! Like a couple cake tin rounds and maybe one square glass dish can get her a long way ad let her dip her toes in before deciding what she wants to add to her collection. Upvoting parchment paper for sure! I invested in actually using it just this year and wow. Life changing.
And vanilla is the secret ingredient to life. Even just an inexpensive vanilla extract would be a great starter kit item. And (look, I’m really just repeating your list with approval lol) a scale vs measuring cups is a GREAT idea.

One other little but nice to have around thing might be packets of dry yeast. As an easy to store optio that would let her experiment with some easy bread, I love just having it in my cupboard.

[katharhino]

What about a list of substitutions that do work, or measurement equivalents, such as you can find in a good baking/cooking book?

[marmota_b]

That's a really nice idea! Both substitutions AND measurement equivalents.