Baking set for a teenager

[wlv12]

My son has significant learning difficulties/challenging behaviour and autism. One thing that really calms him is baking. He’s got a few baking books that he likes looking through and I’ve got a few more in my Amazon wish list. I was wondering/thinking about some baking utensils/nice items that I could give him with the book? We have a lot of baking essentials but things that are a bit different or nice and can be ‘his’. He’s 14.

I'd normally suggest tk maxx or homesense and just have a look around but they aren't open! Not on the high street or Etsy may do personalised utensils?

Lakeland.

I bought a budding baker some Christmas jumper cutters and other bits and two sisters Snowy cutters and some extras to go with it. I think one was a set. The moulds are great for decorating the Christmas cakes. There is a polar bear set this year so he could make a New Year cake and use them. Just dust with icing sugar or cornflour then press the icing in, gently in mould.
I bought the Christmas trees and the small pine cones and nuts. I made a garland, as I already had a holly cutter, on the top of the Christmas cake. Dusted with edible glitter it looked great.

Lakeland are doing click and collect and online shopping available just asking for patience as a little slower than usual for deliveries.

Have you looked at Bakedin? They do subscription and the boxes are worth the money, DD is 13 and she does some recipes totally on her on, some with supervision.

For equipment I would look at Lakeland. The world is your oyster but aI would go for tins which are used often, no need for something which just takes space but isn’t used after 1 time (looking at the novelty shape tins in my cupboard).

I found useful: measuring spoons, measuring cups, 20cm tins, round and square, aprons, Swiss role tin, proving bowl,.

Bakedin do a baking subscription, that makes a nice gift. Home Bargains have a lot of baking bits you might pick up a couple of nice utensils there.

How about a mixer and a traditional mixing bowl like they use on GBBO, if he watches it. There are a few mixers around which look quite similar to the artisan kitchen aid for about £80. I'm considering doing this for one of my children.

I know you said baking specifically but I have bought my DS the Jamie Oliver 5 ingredients cook book so he cooks more meals, more4 independent...

Just a thought of something slightly different.

My DS also has a star baker apron.. It was from Oxfam but may well be available online.

My dd got an Aldi stand mixer for £40 (they start at £50, but often come down to £40). As a first mixer, it works well. And it’s very cheap if it doesn’t get used much. Dd used hers a lot, but after a couple of years, she has ungraded.

That’s upgraded, not ungraded.

Fantastic ideas, thank you!

I’m going to subscribe to bakedin, it sounds exactly what he loves. He has a respite carer attend weekly and they often bake together; I can see them making bits from this on one of the those visits.

I’d somehow forgotten all about Lakeland, I’ve bought a cake pop making set and camper van gingerbread set as well as some measuring cups and spoons as a gift from my mum. I’m going to add some tins from us.

Also going to look into a star baker apron and a mixer/traditional mixing bowl.

Thank you for the fantastic ideas!

My dd has ASD and loves baking too (supervised), she loved the bakedin rainbow cake kit or the ‘build your own cake’ kit.

Asda always have great baking stuff too, cupcake cases, sprinkles etc..

Chocolate moulds are a great hit here too, especially the lolly pop moulds.

I have bought my DD personalised spatulas and wooden spoons from Not On The High Street in previous years.
Not baking, but would he like a rabbit jelly mould or other shaped mould? He might find that fun to do as an alternative one week.

Thank you to the posters recommending bakedin. This is a perfect present for my hard to buy for MIL

My DM bought my DDs personalised cake tins over lockdown. Made by a company called Johnnys Sister. (They were bought aprons as well, but they are definitely kids ones)