Just like a rolling pin, a bench scraper is especially useful when it comes to rolled cookies. In this instance, a simple, old-fashioned dowel is the best, and, as it turns out, pretty inexpensive. Handles might seem helpful, but it's easier to control a rolling pin made of a single piece. You want something with a smooth surface to achieve dough with even thickness but textured enough not to stick to what you’re rolling out. The best models are solid enough to help you apply pressure to dough but not so heavy that they will crush it. To make them, you need a good rolling pin. Now what? At this time of year, a likely next step is rolling, especially for such seasonal staples as gingerbread and sugar cookies. A small processor can be handy for prep work and small amounts, although its usefulness is limited. A big food processor (11- to 14-cup capacity) is the most versatile and powerful. It can even pull together a buttery shortbread dough. You can use it to make your own gluten-free oat and nut flours. This mechanical sous-chef can chop nuts and chocolate. It can work wonders in savory applications, but don’t discount its potential as a baking tool. The other major appliance you might turn to for cookies is a food processor. For big-batch baking, a larger bowl is crucial, but if size and money are limiting factors, you can still do a lot with a smaller, less expensive model. And when it comes to whipping fluffy mounds of egg whites for meringues or macarons, these workhorses (be sure to choose a model with sufficient horsepower) are worth every penny and inch of counter (or cabinet) space. The strong motors can power through thick dough faster and more efficiently than your arm ever could. Nothing beats it for making a big batch of cookies. Metal is generally lighter, but glass is handy, too, because it’s microwaveable.įor many cookie recipes, you’ll be measuring straight into the bowl of a stand mixer. The height you prefer might depend on how tall you and your counters are, not to mention what exactly you are mixing and the potential for flyaway ingredients. Lightweight models that are easy to grip and pour from make cooking a breeze, too. Be sure you have bowls in small, medium and large sizes (as a set or build your own) that will cover you for a wide array of tasks. Plus, you can cut down on cleanup when you reset the scale to zero after each addition and measure ingredients consecutively into a single bowl. They make dividing dough into large or individual portions much easier. The best scales are easy to read, easy to use and easy to clean. Using a scale is more accurate and consistent than measuring by volume, particularly when it comes to flour, where small variations can give you dense, flat cookies instead of tender, well-risen ones. Here you’ll find ATK’s top recommended products, with a few best buys included as well.Īs almost any experienced baker will tell you, the best way to guarantee cookie success is to weigh your ingredients. They do not accept unsolicited samples for testing. All products reviewed by America’s Test Kitchen are bought at retail locations and independently chosen, researched and reviewed by their editors. You’ll be able to use them the rest of the year for many of your other sweet (and even savory) needs, and thanks to America’s Test Kitchen’s testing process, you’ll know which brands offer the highest-quality tools that will maximize the return on your investment. These pieces will take you through more than the holiday season. This guide to essential cookie equipment from Voraciously and America’s Test Kitchen will cover you from the moment you start measuring ingredients all the way through the time you’re ready to eat. They can make the difference between evenly browned cookies that hold their shape and those that fall apart and are inconsistently baked. Whether you’re an avid year-round baker or someone who just dusts off the equipment once a year, having the right tools at your flour-covered fingertips is key. Entire parties revolve around swapping them, they double as festive decor and they’re just the thing to bake, and eat, when you’re holed up on a frigid winter day. Any time is a good time for a cookie, but during the holidays, these little treats take a starring role.

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