Bakers presents

[MaDuggar]

My DH has started to enjoy baking. I want to buy him something for xmas, thats not too expensive (its a side gift, not a main present). He has teh basics (normal sandwich tins, cheap icing piping bag etc) - is there something nice or useful that I could get him?

Electric mixer perhaps?

Or maybe a baking book?

Does he make bread? Nice wicker proving basket? I'm getting a couple handmade locally which will cost about £15 each.

Or a pizza stone. I've just bought myself one which I'm intending to use on the BBQ, apparently gives quite an authentic wood fired oven type of taste but I haven't tried it myself yet.

Thanks for the ideas. he has a few books passed on from his mum who passed away. I wouldnt know how to pick a good one for him - any suggestions?

He has an electric hand mixer - is a big mixer thingy better?

The basket & pizza stone are good ideas.

Does he bake sweet or savoury?or both?
Why not try the great British baking book?( I think that's the name) it's an accompaniment to the recent BBC series and covers both sweet and savoury. You'll find it on amazon.

I find a hand mixer good, no need for a bigger mixer.

Shall go take a look at that book :)

Big mixers are amazing. You can get on with weighing/chopping whilst it is mixing.

Ebay do second hand kenwood chefs quite often, just as good as the £300 kenwood/kitchen aid jobs, and they last forever.

Dan Lepard book on bread is great - The Handmade Loaf

Maduggar- I think you'll like it. I also second the handmade loaf.

Leith's Baking Bible is great, very comprehensive

Other ideas:

Microplane grater ( brilliant for orange/lemon zest, nutmeg etc )
Palette knife for smoothing out cake mixes and icings

Elizabeth David's Baking book. Loads of recipes and you can read it as a novel.

Also, nice proper high-sided narrow bread tins. I have ones like these that I had from my grandmother, they're far nicer than any others.

For anything on bread, try Bakery Bits.

Thanks! Lots of lovely ideas :)