ESSENTIAL
Baking Sheets or Cookie Sheets
If you didn’t know there was a difference between baking and cookie sheets, that’s okay because either will work. A baking sheet has a raised edge around the entire pan, whereas a cookie sheet has only one raised edge so that you can easily slide the cookies off the rimless edges of the pan. I use both interchangeably.
I still bake my cookies on my grandmother’s 14 x 17-inch WearEver aluminum cookie sheets. Have on hand at least two inexpensive, light-colored (avoid dark, they cause cookies to burn) aluminum cookie or baking sheets. Insulated or nonstick baking sheets are not necessary if you line your sheets with parchment paper, which keeps the cookies from sticking and makes cleanup easy.
Cookie Cutters
You can make all 100 cookie designs in this book with 25 inexpensive, widely available cookie cutters (see Sources, here), many of which you may already own—heart, circle, square, crescent moon, ghost. If your cutters aren’t exact replicas of those I use, but pretty close, you can still transform them the way I do by tweaking the decoration just a bit. I rarely spend more than $4 on an average size cutter (2 to 4 inches) but expect to pay more for larger ones. Copper cutters can be a bit pricier; forgo them unless you are making very large cookies, in which case their firm, strong construction is useful.
When I can’t find a cutter shape that I’m looking for, I make my own (see DIY Cookie Cutters, here). This may sound extreme, but I wouldn’t suggest trying it if it wasn’t so, so easy.
Cooling Racks
These are really useful if you have a limited number of baking sheets and a lot of cookies to make. What’s more, transferring cookies to cooling racks allows air to circulate around them so that they cool evenly and quickly. Have several on hand, especially if you plan to bake large batches of cookies.
Standing or Hand-Held Mixer
A standing mixer with a paddle attachment is the ideal combination for making my cookie dough and royal icing. It is an excellent investment, particularly if you like to bake in general. Of course, a hand-held mixer will do the job too, but when making dough you’ll have to switch to a wooden spoon when it comes time to add the flour mixture because the dough may be too stiff for the beaters.
Measuring Cups and Spoons
I personally can never have enough of these, but that has more to do with my habit of picking up different styles at yard sales than with necessity. You really only need a set of measuring cups for dry ingredients and a glass measuring cup for liquids. I like a simple set of nesting metal cups in 1-, ½-, ⅓-, and ¼-cup measures. A 1-cup spouted Pyrex measuring cup is all you need to measure liquids. I still use the classic metal measuring spoons that my grandmother gave me 40 years ago. I am pretty nostalgic about things that have a history! A basic set in measures ranging from ¼ teaspoon to 1 tablespoon is essential for accurately measuring both dry and liquid ingredients including vanilla, salt, and baking soda.
Mixing Bowls
You only need a basic set of mixing bowls and a stack of smaller bowls to make and decorate cookies. I especially love the nesting melamine bowls with spouts that I grew up with, but I also use metal and glass varieties.
Parchment Paper
I use parchment paper to line baking sheets to prevent cookies from sticking to the pan, to make piping bags (see How to Make a Parchment Piping Bag, here), and to roll out dough (see Parchment Paper Method, here). Parchment paper is available in 13-inch-wide rolls or in half-sheet (13 x 16-inch) pieces at supermarkets and kitchen supply stores.
Plastic Wrap
I triple-wrap my dough in plastic wrap to keep it airtight in the refrigerator so it doesn’t dry out.
Rolling Pin
I have used a variety of rolling pins, but my current favorite is a wooden rolling dowel that’s thick enough around to accommodate spacer bands (see Rolling Pin Spacer Bands, below).
Metal Spatula
A metal spatula is useful for transferring cutout dough to the baking sheet, especially when the cutout doesn’t come up with the cutter. I also use it to move the baked cookies from the baking sheet to a cooling rack. I use an everyday offset metal spatula with a 3-inch-wide head.
Silicone Spatulas
I never seem to have enough of these—they are indispensable for scraping down the dry ingredients that cling to the bottom and sides of the bowl when mixing dough and icing. I like to have several on hand so that I’m not distracted with washing one during the baking and decorating process. Have at least two 12-inch silicone spatulas at your fingertips.
Whisk
I use a balloon whisk to combine the dry ingredients—flour, baking soda, salt, etc.—when making the various cookie doughs.
OPTIONAL
Digital Kitchen Scale
All of my recipes include measures for both volume and weight. A scale is not essential if you choose to measure strictly by volume, but my first choice is to measure by weight because it is more precise and the results are more consistent. If you decide to go the kitchen scale route, buy one that measures in both ounces and grams.
Pastry Cloth
Little more than a piece of thick cotton canvas upon which to roll out your dough, a pastry cloth greatly reduces the amount of flour you have to use to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface while rolling. Pastry cloths are sold usually as a 20 x 25-inch rectangle and are available at specialty baking supply stores and online. When you’re finished rolling out your cookies, scrape the cloth down with the end of your metal spatula and store in a plastic bag or plastic wrap in the refrigerator. After using a few times, wash the cloth by hand with soap and water to prevent any oils that seep into it from turning rancid. Lay flat to dry. Parchment paper is a popular alternative, but a pastry cloth will last years if cared for properly.
Rolling Pin Spacer Bands
These rubber band–like attachments slide onto either end of most column-shaped rolling pins to assist in rolling dough to a uniform thickness without any guesswork. They generally come in a set with bands ranging from 
to ½ inch thick and are available at specialty kitchen and baking shops or online. Alternatively, use a pair of 15- to 18-inch-long, ¼-inch-thick dowels. Full disclosure: I didn’t use bands or dowels for the first few years I baked. When I began to hire bakers for my business, I bought the rings for them to ensure consistency.
Sifter or Fine Mesh Strainer
The only time I sift flour is when I am making Gluten Free Lemon Lime Sugar Cookies (here), because the gluten free flour can be clumpy. For the most part, I weigh all of my dry ingredients because this ensures perfect results every time. Measured amounts vary depending on whether you sift or don’t sift. Some bakers prefer sifting all of the dry ingredients together after combining them, but I find it easier to whisk them together using several small circular motions and then final big circular motions.
DECORATING SUPPLIES
ESSENTIAL
Ball Head Pins
These are ideal for unclogging piping tips: Insert the sharp end into the tip and twirl it around, squeezing the bag until icing flows freely again. If the tip continues to become clogged, make a new bag rather than constantly unclogging it, which can lead to frustration! Avoid using dressmaker pins, which are harder to hold and can easily slip into the icing. A pin also comes in handy if air bubbles rise to the surface after you paint in a cookie. Make them disappear with a gentle prick.
Bowls
I’m not too, too picky about the bowls I use for mixing up different colors of icing, but I prefer them to be dishwasher safe to make cleanup easy. A variety of small ones, six to eight about the size of cereal bowls, are enough. If I run out of bowls, I use teacups or coffee mugs.
Food Coloring
I prefer gel food coloring to liquid primarily because it results in much more intense, vibrant icing colors. A little gel goes a long way, which means it won’t thin the icing (see Icing Consistencies, here). I use both AmeriColor Soft Gel Pastes and Chefmaster Liqua-Gel Colors (see Sources, here) because each brand offers different colors. You can buy basic colors to begin: bright red, sunset orange, lemon yellow, leaf green, bright blue, regal purple, chocolate brown, super black, and whitener. But I also choose specialty colors since they give me more options. Be sure to check the recipe before beginning.
All of the icing colors in this book are made with gels, but if you only have liquid food coloring on hand, keep in mind that the colors will be more pastel than saturated. And you’ll need to start with a relatively stiff icing because liquid colorings dilute the mix substantially. If the icing becomes too thin, add more stiff icing or sifted confectioners’ sugar.
Paintbrushes
The artist in me sees a cookie as a canvas, which is why I naturally reach for a paintbrush rather than the more conventional squeeze bottle and toothpick or pastry tube to apply icing, a method known as flooding. In fact, my workspace looks more like an art studio than a bakery; there are jars filled with various sizes of paintbrushes lining the counters. I like to use brushes because you can actually feel the icing going onto the cookie, can spread it quickly with long strokes and can push it around efficiently. Round oil paintbrushes work best; the bristles are stiff enough to push the icing around with ease. It’s worth spending some money on good-quality brushes—the better the bristles, the less likely they are to shed (it’s no fun fishing them out of a freshly iced cookie!) or lose their shape over time. Start with the three I use the most:
• Large: #4 or #5 round oil bristle brush for flooding the entire surface of the cookie
• Medium: #2 round oil bristle brush for flooding smaller areas such as the belly of a frog or the bow on a gift box
• Small: Size 0 or 00 watercolor brush for details such as painting the eyes on a cat, the antennae and dots on a ladybug, or metal latches on a suitcase
How do you know which one to use? It’s best to look at the space on the cookie and then choose the appropriate-size brush.
To preserve brushes, gently massage them with warm water right after you use them. To keep the points of the bristles sharp, store them in a jar, bristles up. Good brushes will last more than five years with proper care and storage.