Close your eyes and imagine yourself in Grandma’s kitchen. Smell those fresh baked cookies, cakes and scrumptious pies? Just the thought of baking can give you that warm to the toes feeling. Baking doesn’t have to be a culinary art. It’s simple, fun and can make a cold winter chill vanish in a blink of an eye.

When Grandma baked it was usually from scratch. No box mixes or canned pie filling could be found in her pantry. In today’s hustle and bustle world a prepackaged mix brings a quick reality to most kitchens. There’s nothing wrong with that, but a day of scratch baking can also bring a little relief from a stressful life.

The hardest part of baking is making sure you have all the needed essentials. Here is a good place to start when checking for items necessary to turn any kitchen into a baker’s delight.

Flour – All purpose flour is a must but depending on what you are baking you may also need self rising flour, wheat flour or millet flour. Just be careful not to substitute in a recipe. Flours consist of different properties and can make or break the easiest of recipes.

Baking Powder & Baking Soda – These leavening agents are an important ingredient in order for your baked items to rise during the baking process.

Cooking Oils & Sprays – When it comes to baking, oils rank at the top of important items to have on hand. They help to make our baked items moist and tasty. Non stick cooking sprays make greasing those pans easier and more economical.

Butter or Margarine – In most cases one can be substituted for the other, but if a recipe calls for butter specifically, do not substitute margarine. Regular butter will give your recipe more flavor and when used sparingly won’t cause as many health problems. Sweet, unsalted butter is best because the salt can mask the flavor of food. Be careful with salted butter because it masks the smell and taste of the butter which means it could easily go rancid without your knowledge.

Sugar – White and brown sugars are a must when baking. Brown sugar can be found in light or dark. Light brown sugar usually works best when baking because it gives those baked goods a delicious flavor. Use dark brown sugar when the recipe calls for it.

Spices – These can make or break a recipe. Spices add flavor to those baked goods. Be sure to add only spices that will give the flavor you need. Apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice and other specialized spices include many different spices combined saving you both time and money.

Eggs & Dairy Products – Eggs are the “glue” that hold your baked goods together. They are also a large part of the rising process. Most recipes will call for large eggs and these are your best bet for consistent results. Dairy products like milk and creams are a staple in many baking recipes as well.

Bake Ware & Cooking Utensils – Cookie sheets, cake pans, muffin tins, pie pans and brownie pans are all necessary when baking. Cake pans come in round or rectangular shape and in all different sizes. Brownie pans are usually square and come in 8 inch or 9 inch sizes. Depending on just how in depth you want to take your baking you may also need tube pans, spring form pans or Bundt pans.

Measuring cups and measuring spoons are very important to ensure you add just the right amount of ingredients to batters. A whisk, pastry blender and rubber spatulas are also necessary in preparing smooth, creamy batters. An electric mixer, blender or food processor can help in cutting down preparation times.

Baking is a simple pleasure that everyone can enjoy including the kids and even hubby. It is definitely a way to make your home feel warm and cozy when it’s cold outside. Take the chill off and bake a batch of cookies or a loaf of bread this afternoon.