<![CDATA[Blue Box Bakery - Blog]]>Sat, 17 Jan 2026 04:43:18 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Must Have Kitchen Tools]]>Tue, 24 Mar 2020 21:48:01 GMThttps://www.blueboxbakery.com/blog/must-have-kitchen-toolsSince I've started my tutorial journey, I feel as though I should also include some of my favorite must have kitchen tools. These are just some of my personal favorites that I have used over the years and highly recommend to people when I am teaching actual in-person classes. 

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I have been using this scale for close to 10 years! It is my favorite, hands down. And I've used my fair share over the course of my career. I own this in a 5 lb scale I keep in my house, for smaller projects/ making drip coffee/ etc, and a 11 lbs scale I keep in the kitchen for most of my every day baking projects. I also use a 22 lbs scale from the same company for larger projects.
Other than the scale, the one tool I use daily is my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Now this is an investment piece. In the beginning of my baking journey, I mainly used hand mixers because I was not ready to make the leap. But my KitchenAid has lasted me the last 10+ years of my baking journey and still has many more years left in it. ​
The Sil-Pin Rolling Pin is not your average rolling pin. It is heavy, which makes for less pressure, and comes with a non-stick silicone rolling surface. I use this rolling pin for all of my dough rolling! It is the one rolling pin I use most frequently
Cookie Scoops. So I know what you guys are thinking. Why is a cookies scoop on this list? It's a cookie scoop. Well. With my business I have scooped thousands of cookies. Some scoops break real quick. And some last.... These last! I use the Blue (size 16) for my big cookies, Black (size 30) for my standard dessert bar cookies, and Red (Size 24) for Cupcakes. 
There are so many spatulas out there! But if you are looking for one that we use in commercial kitchens across the country. Its the ones that are high heat resistant with a red handle. It has no seams. So nothing will get stuck in places. And as pretty as the wood handles ones are. You can't put them in the dishwasher, so that's a no-go for me. 
I also really love these ones, particularly the smaller sized ones. You'll see me use these to empty out portion cups, mixing frosting colors. They are so versatile. 
Other than the scale, I'd say this is the next required tool. They make ones with wood handles, but once again, I prefer the plastic so I can run it in the dish washer. There are also a lot of brands out there. But Ateco is my personal favorite. This set comes with the 3 main sizes you would need. 
Not all bowl scrapers and bench scrapers are created equal. And they are also not really interchangeable. Why? Because you want a flexible bowl scraper, to really get all of your dough out. But you need a super stiff bench scraper to get all the stuck/dried dough off of your table. So here is my favorite bowl scraper. 
Ok. So the reason I like this for the bench scraper option is 1. It is metal. 2. It has a ruler. 3. Its edge is flat... Why is that important? Because, you can also use it to decorate cakes!! And because it comes in a 2 pack, I would designate 1 for the bench, and 1 for cakes. Because using it to scrap the bench, could mess up the perfectly smooth edge, which is what you need for those nice cake sides.
If you are looking for a cake specific scraper. This is the one I use. It is by Cake Safe, who also makes the container that I transfer and deliver my cakes in. It has a super tall angled surface, which is perfect for the really tab straight edges. 
I go through more piping bags per year, than maybe anything else. And while many people invest in reusable piping bags, I prefer disposable because I deal with a lot of people with allergens. And I just don't think you can ever get those reusable ones quite clean enough. I use these tipless ones for most projects, including decorating cookies.

For buttercream and fillings or macarons, I prefer these bags, as they are a little thicker and significantly bigger, so I'm not constantly re-filling the bag. 
This is less of a necessity and more of a luxury. But pre-cut parchment paper is the best. You don't have to worry about the curling edges, or cutting them to size. These will fit your standard half sheet tray most of you have at home. 
And on that note. If you don't have half sheet trays at home, these are the best! 
They also have a set that comes with a cooling rack. So I'll link that too.. 
I love my Nordic Ware bundt pan. My only complaint is that it doesn't have handles. This one is the exact same ones as the one I own, only it actually has handles! 
The last thing you really need to really get your cake decorated journey started is a turntable. There are plenty of cheap options available, but its worth it to get a decent one that will last you a while. Ateco has a Cast iron turntable that is more expensive, but I find that this one is great option as well.
If you really want to up your bread loaf game, it helps to have a dutch oven. Le Creuset is the creme de la creme in cookware, and it is worth it if you want to plan on a longterm investment piece. But there are other decent options that are a bit more cost effect. But the enamel of the Le Creuset is really unbeatable in the market today. 

​This option by Lodge is a good cost effective alternative. 
I just got this Air Fryer/Toaster Oven Combo and it is amazing!!!! It cooks James's nuggets in 5 mins, it makes Tuna melts in 10 mins, crispy french fries in 10 mins and it makes Biscuits in 15 mins! No preheating. No overheating the kitchen. It has been amazing, and my only complaint has been, why the heck didn't I buy one of these sooner!!! 
]]><![CDATA[IGTV-why not]]>Tue, 24 Mar 2020 21:41:06 GMThttps://www.blueboxbakery.com/blog/igtv-why-notSometimes, you get bored. 

You are stuck at home with very minimal work to do. You have a toddler to entertain, and you need to stay sane. 

So you decide to start an IGTV series called....
Really Crappy Tutorials.
I'm not a filmmaker. I'm rarely put together. I hardly ever wear makeup. Enjoy!
www.instagram.com/blueboxbakery/channel/

]]><![CDATA[ch-ch-ch- changes....]]>Fri, 26 Oct 2018 03:14:49 GMThttps://www.blueboxbakery.com/blog/ch-ch-ch-changes
​10 years ago, when I started this crazy pastry journey, I had grand dreams to open my own patisserie. I wanted to do it all! Make bread, make cakes, make every French pastry imaginable and sell them all out of my own cute little shop with white tiles, white marble and a cute little blue awning. 
Over the past couple of years, I saw my goals for my business shift. My priorities changed, and my grand blue awning plans morphed into something entirely different. Of course I got in my own head. Would people see this as a failure? Is this taking a step back? What will people think about me? About Blue Box Bakery… 
​Then I went to the most amazing workshop with one of my cake idols, Maggie Austin. Of course I learned how to make gorgeous lifelike sugar flowers, but the biggest take away from that week was to believe in myself. And that just because my business plans have changed, doesn’t mean that I’ve failed. It only means, I’ve restructured my business plan to fit me, not anyone else’s expectation of success. 
A couple of months ago, we were faced with a rent increase, and while I knew I could make it work, it would have also required me to spend more time away from James during these precious early years of his life. And that was something that I’m not ready to do. So with that said, I am happy and excited to announce, that Blue Box Bakery will be closing our cake studio in Downtown Bothell. We found an amazing space, that will work as our home base, not just for my business, but for my family as well. We will still be in Bothell, but we will be by appointment only, with our tasting space TBD at a later date. We have a few local spots in the works, and we can’t wait to share that information with everyone once it has been finalized! 
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In the meantime, we will be having a few flash sales while we are still in our studio space! We will be posting them on our Instagram and Facebook pages so stay tuned!  
 
Also, consider this the launch of our new blog!!! Let me know if there are any topics you want me to blog about!!!
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