(Bloomberg) -- If there’s one holiday activity that resists updating, it’s baking. Digging out a family recipe for gingerbread or well-decorated cookies—or, in my case, the vanilla crescents that my Czech Republic family calls vanilkové rohlíčky—is the tradition that defines the season.
But even the best family recipes can benefit from an upgrade.
Because I am crazy about vanilla beans, I’ve tried numerous varieties to intensify the flavors in my grandmother’s vanilkové rohlíčky. (My current favorite: the short and chubby Mexican V. pompona beans from IndriVanilla that pumps up the sugar I use to roll the cookies in after they’re baked.)
Let’s start with the most basic of ingredients: flour. Venerated French baker Dominique Ansel’s new superfine pastry flour lends cakes and cookies a more delicate crumb. Sprinkles? Most are full of commercial dyes. The decorations from the plant-based brand Supernatural come in a wide array of colorful options without the chemicals. Extracts? To boost panettone or pecan pie, try self-taught baker Kate Banks’ line that blends vanilla beans with house-made spirits—her newest is bright ginger.
And of course there’s always a whole range of kitchen tools to make baking life easier, if not more stylish. The following products are among my 12 new favorites that will make you this season’s baking star. And, of course, they make great gifts, too.
Ingredients
Dominique Ansel x Grands Moulins de Paris Pastry FlourAfter years of importing flour from acclaimed French mill Grands Moulins de Paris for the whimsical French pastries he serves at his eponymous bakeries around the world, Cronut creator Dominique Ansel has introduced his own product in collaboration with the brand. Swap this extra-fine pastry flour—made from organic French wheat—for all-purpose flour in cakes, cookies, crêpes or any other recipe that would benefit from a more delicate texture. $11 for 750 grams (26.5 ounces)
Supernatural Mermaid SoftiesThe more colorful sprinkles are, the more chemicals they’re likely to contain. But Supernatural uses turmeric, annatto and other ingredients to color its playful sprinkles and sparkles. Made from simple ingredients including cane sugar and tapioca starch, they add a soft crunch to whatever they garnish; the latest palette of pink, purple and yellow is inspired by mermaids, but they have plenty of more traditional holiday colors and shapes (trees, snowflakes) as well. From $8 for 3 ounces
Vain Indonesian Vanilla Extracted in Ginger SpiritsBakers invariably add a dash of vanilla extract or a splash of booze to flavor desserts. So Banks, founder of the indie vanilla-based extract brand Vain, combines the two. Her unique, thoughtful extracts come in flavors like her newly released ginger-vanilla, which is made by macerating Indonesian vanilla beans for at least 60 days in her house concoction of vodka with fresh and dried ginger. It’s the ultimate holiday baking pick-me-up. $24 for a 2-oz bottle
Caroline Schiff x Spicewalla Speculoos BlendGrab a jar of New York pastry chef Caroline Schiff’s vibrant wintertime blend, and you’ll never reach for pumpkin spice again. It combines Spicewalla’s vibrant mix of ingredients that commonly flavor masala chai—cinnamon, green cardamom and star anise—with the flavors of speculoos, the brown-spice-powered northern European shortbread biscuits that have become ubiquitous. $15 for a 2-oz tin
Sunrise Flour Mill Heritage Sugar Cookie MixDarrold and Marty Glanville of Sunrise Flour Mill work with a fourth-generation Midwestern farm to grow organic, non genetically modified and glyphosate-free heritage grains that they then mill themselves. For the holidays, the two have released a sugar cookie mix based on a blend of farmstead wheats, locally produced sugar and aluminum-free baking soda. One bag makes around three dozen cookies. $15 for a 20-oz bag
Equipment
Jenny Pennywood Round PotholdersSan Francisco Bay Area artist Jen Garrido—aka Jenny Pennywood—makes laid-back California-cool apparel and home goods including striking round potholders in color combinations like shell-and-Champagne, and midnight-and-tomato (seen here). The potholders are locally sewn, made from a linen-cotton fabric with heat-resistant material, and show off her bold, abstract patterns; they’re also highly giftable. $38
KitchenAid Design Series Evergreen Stand MixerKitchenAid has changed up its iconic stand mixer—a requisite tool for any baker to prep fluffy whipped cream or knead chewy sourdough—with a gorgeous new look. The base is matte-green with a brass-plated front hub; the smooth bowl is made from walnut. Though it’s double the price of the classic model, and cooks should note that the wooden bowl’s oil coating can prevent egg whites from reaching stiff peaks, it’s still a key piece of equipment that commands any countertop. $700
Wood Pulp Banneton BasketsIf your holiday repertoire includes sourdough (or any homemade bread), consider these 9-inch proofing baskets, also known in French as bannetons. Made in Brooklyn, New York, from sustainably sourced North American wood pulp, these baskets have ultra-absorbent material that soaks in moisture from the dough, yielding a crispier crust when the loaves come out of the oven. Two for $80
Five-Piece Astrik Mixing Bowls There’s a new option for eco-friendly cooks besides plastic or heavy, breakable glass. The earth-conscious homeware brand Bamboozle has created Astrik, a proprietary material made from bamboo and renewable starches that’s durable, microwavable and dishwasher-safe. It’s the base for these fun nesting bowls, one of several avocado green products made in collaboration with online cooking site the Kitchn. $60 for a set of five
Breville Control Freak Home CooktopNo more excuses for burnt caramel or scorched custard: Global kitchenware brand Breville and its modernist commercial division PolyScience have redesigned their professional kitchen stalwart for the home. The (slightly less expensive) portable stainless-steel and ceramic-glass induction cooktop uses electromagnetic energy to precisely heat and hold temperatures from 77F to 482F. The device also offers functions to control how quickly products heat up. $1,300
Snowflake Kransekake Cookie CuttersArguably the most simple yet iconic holiday baking tool is the cookie cutter, and this year, premium kitchenware brand Williams Sonoma is adding a new staple. Taking a page from Scandinavia’s culture of preparing kransekake—celebratory tiered cakes from almond cookies—these stainless-steel snowflake-shaped cutters make cookies that can be stacked into a 10-layer tree. $20 for a set of 10
Oxo Slice and Bake Cookie MakerKitchen tool maker Oxo wants to improve your gingersnaps and whatever other holiday cookie is on your to-do list. The brand’s new silicon cookie mat does triple duty: It helps shape dough into a uniform log; it can be rolled up to store dough; and it offers a built-in measurement guide for precisely cut 1.5-inch, 1.75-inch or 2-inch diameter cookies. $30
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