Tools of the Trade

When it comes to baking, it’s important to have the right tools around. There are obvious ones like the whisk, the spatula, and measuring cups, but I have an unexpected tool I consider indispensable. That tool is a coffee grinder. Yes, a coffee grinder. I started using it to add baking chips to my pizzelles. The cookies have to be pressed and flattened, so using the baking chips as is would just melt a hole in the cookie. Over time, I found the grinder to be an efficient tool in a variety of recipes. i tried my hand at making an almond tart the other day, and the recipe called for ground almonds. Naturally, no store sells pre-ground almonds because no one wants to eat almond-flavored dust, so I pulled out my trusty coffee grinder and, within seconds, had all the ground almonds I needed. Because it’s so efficient, I also used it to make orange zest from a peel for the same recipe. You can also use a mortar and pestle, but it is essential to have a means to grind ingredients for baking.

Finely ground almonds

The coffee grinder helping with the zestThe final product

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