Last Minute Gift Ideas for the Bakers and Food Lovers in Your Life

Last Minute Gift Ideas for the Bakers and Food Lovers in Your Life

You guys, where has this year gone?! It's right around this time of year that I remember there are two kinds of people in the world. The totally-prepared-and-comfortably-ahead-of-schedule people like my best friend Beau, who already has her gifts ordered and en route (with some even wrapped and ready to be opened). And then there are people like me. I am not the person mentioned above. I am just now starting to think about Christmas gifts, praying they will arrive in time. I don’t know what it is or why I am the way I am, but I have given up feeling bad for being this way. Why? Because I do everything I can to keep stress uninvited from this party called my life. So! If you’re like me and realizing it's time to get down to business, here are my last minute recommendations for the bakers you love in your life.

Cookbooks - My relationship with cookbooks is one of obsession. They are my inspiration and soul food. I know that many people are gifted books they don’t love or end up using, but these books are not that. I turn to them repeatedly for inspiration. If you have a baker in your life, trust me that they will find inspiration in this list too! 

1. A Good Bake by Melissa Weller - It's been years since a cookbook has inspired me the way this book has. I have found in these stunning pages my forever pie crust recipe and so much more. 

1. Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman - I find Alison Roman to be entirely delightful and her cookbook reliably delicious. I have turned to this book the most in this last year for appetizer inspiration, dinner party ideas and a reminder to do life your own way! Alison, you’re a queen. Thank you for writing this book. 

1. Tartine: A Classic Revisited - Tartine is the bakery that inspired me to pursue a career in pastry and hospitality. If you want to learn about baking and develop your ability in the kitchen, this book is invaluable. If you know someone who loves baking and doesn’t know about Tartine yet, well then, you’re going to make their Christmas with a gift like this! 

Baking Tools - This definitely falls into the less-romantic category of gifts, but these four baking tools will transform the way you and your loved ones bake. Gifting any or all of these says “I see you and I care.” I keep this simple for a reason. I have purged many-a-baking-tool from my cabinet on more than one occasion, but these four products are here to stay. 

1. A good turntable: Here’s the one I recommend. A turntable allows you to frost a cake like a professional. It saves time, is super fun to work with, and gives you a confident pep-in-your-step as you arrive at your next birthday or dinner party, cake in hand. 

1. A serrated knife: This is an amazing tool to divide your cake into layers or level off the domed top for a perfectly symmetrical finished and frosted cake. There’s a whole world of knives out there of varying quality and price, but when it comes to serrated, there's no need to go for the most expensive option. Any middle-of-the-road knife with a long blade, about 10 inches, will do. 

1. An 8x3” springform pan: This is the pan I have reached for 99% of my cake making life. An 8” cake will feed a good number of people and isn’t too big if your party is on the smaller side. It yields thicker layers than a 9” or 10” pan, leaving you with a beautifully tall and dreamy-when-frosted finished product. It's my favorite pan to bake Wild Rye baking mixes in. It also covers your bases when you’re making a cheesecake, torte, ice cream cake and even a deep dish pizza. Hello forever cake pan. I love you.  

But, my most favorite: a home-baked gift. This gets back to the reason I started this brand. Wild Rye was born from the feeling of “baking magic.” It's the feeling you get when you share something you’ve made with someone you love and the feeling they get from receiving it! So, if you want to keep it simple and heartfelt, I don’t think there’s a better play than going with a home-baked gift. Reach for a Wild Rye cake mix or your most cherished family recipe. If you want to be extra, you can throw in some almond flour pancake mix for the next morning and you’re legit set!