What do bakers like to get from Santa?

[Live_to_cook]

You hardcore bakers out there, please help.

My wife's the baker in the house and I want to get her something nice from Santa... online vendors would be okay, it can arrive in January and still be effective.

She just got the Cooks Illustrated baking book and loves it.

She's not shy about buying her own pans and equipment, but tends to limit her ingredients to what you can get at the local supermarket. I was thinking perhaps exotic/expensive ingredients that make a big difference would be the way to go...

Vanilla beans? Superfine cooking chocolate? Your suggestions?

Thanks for your help.

Huge hunks of Callebaut chocolate. Best bet is to buy it from a bakery supply place.

Also, Pernigotti cocoa. Watch your prices though. www.chefshop.com has it for $16.99 a kilo. Best price I have seen. Once you try Pernigotti you won't use anything else.

If she doesn't have a decent stand mixer yet, get her a good KitchenAid.

Good, heavy duty cake pans and baking sheets. I like the Aladdin line pretty well, if you can find it.

[Live_to_cook]

Crudeau: Get the chocolate from a bakery supply place ... do you mean, don't buy it online?

[This message has been edited by Live_to_cook (edited 12-18-2000).]

[m brown]

Where do you live? We can help you find venders near by!
For christmas I would love to get some great baking books (payard, neo classical pastries, pastry arts magazine, chocolate magazine, etc.), antique art prints of pastry advertisments, unique cookie cutters, aprons, chef coat, wonderful paper pans, anything non stick and high temperature resistant, plastic scrapers and a mixer, bread machine, rolling pins, an assistant to clean up my mess, baking lessons in NYC, or Napa Valley!
hope this list helps you too!!!!

[Nick.Shu]

mm, a big can of sevarome hazelnut paste

[Mezzaluna]

How about a Penzey's gift certificate? Try them at penzeys.com.

[Isa]

How about a gift basket with everything in it for either pies, cakes, cookies or bread, you choose the theme according to what your wife like to make.

In the basket, put all the tools needed, ingredients.

Or make one basket with just expensive ingredients like dried cherry and blueberry, macademia nuts etc.

[cape chef]

M brown, I love pastry arts magazine.
The two things I would buy a pastry chef are.
an Icecream maker with a removable bowl for easy clean up. And a 2 inch thick Italian marble slab for dough and sugar work.
Also I would by 200 pastry brushes because me and all my cooks are constantly stealing his
Please don't tell
cc

Live to Cook,

Dunno about on-line prices for Callebaut;haven't checked that. Have seen it sell for between $5-$10 per lb. Just thought you might be able to get it cheaper at a bakery supply place.

[m brown]

Do not pay excessive chocolate prices!!!
Right now Paris Gourmet, 1800 PASTRY 1, has a new line of chocolate called choconoel for a great price, 3 to 5 dollars per pound. Look for good prices by buying from purveyers in bulk and either gifting or splitting the cost with friends, family or even try a local baker or restaurant. If you pay C.O.D, you could do really well!
Also try Uster imports, Swiss Challet, Harry Wills, DairyLand, Otto Brem, D Rosen, WhiteBakers and other purveyers in your city.
Please, beware of retail on baking items, you could get taken to the cleaners!!!

Love to Cook
http://www.bakingshop.com/sugarcraft...ecallebaut.htm

[Live_to_cook]

Thank you for all your replies and suggestions... I knew I came to the right place.

[Live_to_cook]

m brown -- I live in Buffalo, NY... I couldn't find a Paris Gourmet site, do you know of one or only the phone number? I would buy my wife a large brick of chocolate but she's not done much chocolatier work, more baking ... of course if she decided not to make candy she could still eat it (or is it strictly cooking stuff?)