‘Tis the season for lots and lots of cookies. And I know because a few friends and I gather to make cookies to give away during the holidays every year. We call ourselves the Cookie Cutters, though we rarely use actual cookie cutters to make our delicious treats. Over the years, we’ve fine-tuned the list of ingredients we bring and the gear we use to make the cookies.
We’ve learned that smart kitchen appliances can help things run a bit smoother. Whether you’re attending a cookie exchange or making a batch with friends, our list of must-have products to throw a successful cookie party can surely help.
What to serve at a cookie party?
Besides cookies, having a bunch of non-sweet appetizers on hand is always a good bet. In addition to the traditional cheese and charcuterie plate, you’ll want to make apps using appliances that you can set and forget. That’s where handy items like Instant Pots, crockpots, and air fryers can save you time, so you can focus on the main event: Baking those cookies. Not sure what to make? Check out our list of Instant Pot recipes.
Another small kitchen appliance that can do more than just make apps are smart cookers. The Ninja Foodi 13-in-1 dual heat oven is the Swiss Army knife in this category. You can use it to air fry apps, like chicken wings, serve homemade pizza bites, roast some veggies, and then when you’re done making the apps for the party, you have an extra oven to bake cookies.
Let’s not forget the beverages. You can heat up apple cider in a crockpot for guests to serve themselves. You can also set out a cocktail-making machine if you want to up your game. We like the Bartesian — not only does it feel fancy to say, but it also serves up a slew of high-end cocktails. Partygoers can pick the drink strength or make mocktails. The company recently introduced a line of holiday-inspired drinks perfect for the occasion. And the pods that hold the mixers are recyclable. Just set up the Bartesian on a bar cart and let your guests be the bartender.
Equipment you need to bake the cookies
Of course, you’ll need lots of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs to produce a ton of cookies, but there are many kitchen tools (smart and not so smart, but true workhorses) that can make the experience a whole lot more fun.
Smart food scales
Baking is an exact science, so the first you’ll need is a food scale. This year, we will be using the Etekcity Smart Food Nutrition Scale because we can use the app to operate the scale. It can also do unit conversions, and it will track the nutrition of anything we’re measuring. To be honest, we probably won’t use that feature on cookie day. Who wants to know about all those calories? We’ll definitely use it after the holidays to get back in shape.
Mixers
You will absolutely need a mixer. It’s always useful to have an electric hand mixer along with a stand mixer — especially if you have a lot of bakers in the kitchen. You can’t go wrong with a KitchenAid model. While it doesn’t have an app to tell us when our egg whites are whipped to perfection it does do all the hard work for us.
Smart thermometers
If we’ve learned one thing from the Great British Baking Show, it’s that any baker worth their salt will have a candy thermometer. The Maverick Bluetooth Candy & Oil Thermometer comes with pre-programmed temperature settings for candies, chocolates, and deep-fried recipes. The helpful iOS and Android iChef CT-10 app let you monitor the progress on your phone.
Smart displays
Let’s not forget about a smart display for the kitchen. You can go with an Echo Show or a Google Nest Hub; both will assist you with any baking questions you might have. Ask Alexa, “What’s the best shortbread cookie recipe?” Not only will it display a few options, but you can pick the one you like, and Alexa will tell you how long it takes to make, the average rating, and if you request it, will walk you through the instructions. Ask Google, “How many tablespoons are in a cup of butter?” Google will tell you. You can also ask Google to DJ your party by finding and playing the best holiday music.
There you have it: Everything you need to throw a cookie party and the smart products that will help you become a baking pro.
