Gift idea for someone who loves to bake?

[YakiSOBA]

Hello! I've been browsing some of the posts here and I'm really happy to have found this forum! Some of the recipes and ideas sound absolutely delicious!

I'm writing here in hopes of getting some suggestions from you pro's on what you think would be superb gift ideas for someone who loves to bake!

My girlfriends birthday is coming up, and she loves to bake all sorts of goods! Cookies, cakes, muffins, etc. She started teaching me how to bake, and I've fallen in love with the amount of fun you have when trying out new recipes for the first time, or trying to perfect older recipes you've learned.

For her birthday gift, I thought a good idea would be to get her something related to baking -- but as a relatively newcomer to the world of baking, I have no clue what would be considered a "must-have", "essential", or even just "cool/unique" tool as a gift idea.

She is particularly fond of "cute" things, such as bunny-shaped cookie cutters.

If anyone could come up with -any- suggestions, I would be very very thankful!

Thanks again, and keep up the good work! =)

 

[GB]

Welcome to the site! What kind of price range would you like to keep within?

 

[YakiSOBA]

Hmm... I would say anything between $25 to $50 dollars? She would kill me if she found out I spent too much!

 

[GB]

Does she have a silpat? I do not bake much, but the people I know who do would not want to be without their silpat matt. It would not fit the "cute" requirement though, but she sure would get a lot of use out of it.

 

[YakiSOBA]

Oooh, that sounds like a really good idea!

I don't think she has one, and it seems to be quite useful for all-purpose baking indeed!

Thank you GB!

 

[GB]

My pleasure. I am sure others will chime in with some great ideas too.

 

[Katie H]

You say she likes to bake muffins, how about getting her something like this: Amazon.com: Norpro 3992 12 pc petite nonstick heart muffin pan: Home & Garden.

It's not very expensive and you might even go to the book store and find a neat cookbook on muffins only.

For less than $50, you could give her the Silpat sheet, a "cute" muffin pan and a muffin cookbook.

Then go to the store (I've seen them at Wal-Mart.) and buy a package of white flour sack towels. Use them to wrap up her presents with pretty ribbon. She can use the towels for pastry cloths and/or to dry dishes.

You might even get some tasty heart-shaped muffins as a big thank you.

 

[jkath]

Silpat - great idea GB!
My first thought was a cute one (before I realized she was into such things) -
how about a silicone madelaine pan? They're awesome!

Another thought - ramekins with a torch (and fluid)

Also, you know those cake pans that look like a big rose? Now they have cupcake/muffin sized sets (I think they come with 4 different flowers). Anyhow, they're beautiful and I've seen them at Bed Bath & Beyond....who always has 20% off coupons!

 

[Yakuta]

Silpats are great but here is something one of my good friend gave me that may spark up some more ideas:

Cookie Press (farily inexpensive plastic one with different heads)
Good quality Madagascar pure vanilla extract
Good quality Chocolate (White and Bittersweet)
Assorted cookie cutters
Decorative Sugars

You can make a basket and present it to her. It's fun to buy little stuff but more of it so the receiver has fun opening it.

 

[college_cook]

Not really cute but if she's a serious baker she'll need a scale. Some recipes just require the ingredients to be measured by weight, and I can say from experience that some things just don't turn out at all if not measured exactly.

 

[middie]

How about those silicone baking items ?
I'd love to have them myself.

 

[amber]

I'm thinking a gift certificate to his or her favorite store

 

[Katie H]

How about those silicone baking items ?
I'd love to have them myself.

Just from experience. I have some of those silicone baking items. They are fabulous from a non-stick point of view. However, let's talk about a regular loaf pan.

The dough/batter fills the pan in the normal way but during baking the sides of the silicone pan "splay" out. This results in a much flatter loaf.

Until the makers can design a pan that can produce a more straight-sided loaf, I prefer traditional glass or metal loaf pans.

Because the silicone is flexible, the pans will produce a somewhat flattened product.

As for gift certificates, I like them as much as the other person. However, I would much prefer someone taking the time to seek out and purchase something I might like. That is, to say, they shoud know what I like to begin with.

I'm not trying to be critical but, from my point of view, I appreciate the time and effort my sweetie would take to purchase something I would cherish.

 

[califlorican]

Williams-Sonoma has some great stuff, though a bit expensive. I love Target for all my baking needs. They have nice stuff and some of it is quite cute.

Cookie Press
Silicone Bake Set
Mini Bundt Pan
Baking Set

Assorted extracts and oils:
vanilla
almond
lemon
orange
mint
rum
chocolate
berry
coffee
anise
cinnamon
maple
walnut

You could even buy some good quality chips (semisweet, dark, white, milk chocolate, butterscotch, cinnamon, peanut butter) and some other fun stuff.

 

[StirBlue]

I would give such a person some beautiful candles, bath oil/salts, a nice bottle of wine and an invitation to dinner at a fabulous restaurant.

Your friend may like to bake but needs a break from time to time. This is a celebration after all.

 

[Dove]

Awwww...StirBlue you are such a romantic.

 

[lulu]

DH has bought me some beautiful decorative caketins. I have a metal one for a dozen rose cupcake size cakes, and a silicon sunflower, these are my favourite two. They each came with a bunch of flowers....roses and sunflowers respectively. Te rose one also came with rose water and rose syrup, and both were great gifts!