Every pastry kitchen, be it professional or personal has their own pastry kitchen essentials. These are mine which I used at the bakery and in my personal kitchen. Long ago when we remodeled the kitchen at our house I put all the gadgets I had accumulated in a box. Six months later I used exactly one thing out of that box. I never again bought anything that I didn't know I would use on a regular basis.
Cookie Scoops/Dishers/ScoopsIin the profession these pastry kitchen essentials are referred to as dishers or scoops because we use them for a lot more than cookies, i.e. meatballs, mashed potatoes, anywhere you want to make sure all the sizes are the same. They are used for portion control. Some are all stainless steel – some have plastic colored handles. Vollrath makes these in both all stainless as well as colored plastic handles.
I prefer the all stainless steel dishers as the plastic handles can more easily be broken. The size number is on the tool – somewhere. You just have to find it as there isn't a uniform place for it, unfortunately.
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L'Opéra Petit Fours, a combination of chocolate and coffee flavors, are very much a lesson in component parts. Many pastries consist of several recipes combined to make the whole. Rearranging which and how the component parts are combined, endless pastries can be made.
Orange Bread Pudding with Orange Cream Sauce is the type of dessert I once joked about. I was going to write a book named, "363 Bread Puddings and 252 Crème Brulees" because almost every restaurant in business serves these two desserts. But none of them comes close to this different take on everyone's favorite dessert.
One of the constant challenges of owning a bakery is coming up with new items to entice the clientele. This Carrot Cake Cheesecake was one of the more unusual cakes we featured from time to time.
I also found that making the cheesecake layer in a processor yielded a firmer cheesecake than if it is made in a mixer. However, both ways work. 
When I first heard about Cronuts, quite frankly, I thought they were obscene. Having made several batches of them, I can tell you they are!!
Toast the New Year's celebration with a Peach Melba Royale - a different take on champagne! Fresh raspberries float in a sea of peach schnapps and champagne to bring in the new year in style.
Murbteig cookies were one of my favorite Christmas cookies made by my mother. The basic pastry is German or Viennese depending upon what book you are reading. It is extremely easy to put together. Mother made this in a mixer but I find it easier in the food processor. Both versions are included.
She also included a small little chicken. I have no idea why the chicken or the card cutters but they are a dainty cookie and look just beautiful on a cookie tray. 
These Pecan Bars are one of the most used recipes from the Culinary Institute of America. I have seen various versions of these Pecan Bars but this one is the one we used in the bakery. The key is to boil the filling to 240 degrees or the filling will sag when it is cut. Otherwise this is the easiest of recipes to make.
Although really easy, these fudgy Snickers Brownies, are sure to become a favorite. They are great for getting kids into the kitchen. When my grandson was five he made these and still does. After all a whisk, a bowl, a few measuring utensils yields a bonanza of brownies. If you don't have a food processor, don't freeze the candy, just chop the snicker bars by hand. Make these Snickers Brownies once and see if they don't become an instant favorite.
Reinterpreting S'Mores is one of the fun things about being a pastry chef. This version of S'mores is a perfect example as it keeps the classic components but changes them up a bit.
Oatmeal cookies have always been my favorite. It's something about the spices and texture of this oatmeal cookie. It's particularly difficult to describe. It's crispy on the outside with a center that is loaded with the add ins of your choice. It almost has a lacey quality to it. I wish I had a nickel for every time someone told me how much they loved this oatmeal cookie. It is not your usual oatmeal cookie which probably explains the response. This is a 
Chocolate Cherry Bread combines two foods I love – chocolate and bread. So combining them seemed a natural. I can't remember when I first tasted Chocolate Cherry Bread but it is among my favorite breads. Besides how can cocoa, melted chocolate and chocolate chunks all in one bread be anything by super.
This Hawaiian Sundae is perfect for the end of a grilled dinner, this unusual sundae of caramelized pineapple with a chocolate coconut sauce has all the flavors from Hawaii. Fresh pineapple and a chocolate sauce flavored with coconut cream is topped with salted, toasted macadamia nuts. I found these in the snack aisle of grocery stores.
Becoming a better baker is a matter of patience and repetition, but there are practices that will help speed the process. Here I have listed some that I hope will help you - even if it is just one thing you may need to work on to become the baker you always wanted to be.
