The Complete Guide to Essentials for My Baking Cabinet (and Other Storage Areas in My Kitchen)

(Just an FYI -- there's still the vanilla bean giveaway here. This giveaway closes at 12 midnight PDT, Tuesday, May 20, 2014. Now back to today's blog post.)

Don't we all like to "see" what's in someone else's cupboard or closet or shopping cart? I think that's a universal curiosity. It gives us insight into a person's daily life. It's what anthropologists study. Here you go, my guide to essentials for my baking cabinet.

Baking and cooking from scratch has been a large part of what has kept our grocery spending so low over the last 27 years. I get that not everyone wants to spend as much time in the kitchen as I do. But learning to scratch-cook and bake has allowed me to be the one who kept the home fires burning. Put plainly, our grocery savings was the monetary difference between having me work outside or inside the home.

To bake this much from scratch, I need to keep a very well-stocked cupboard of baking and dessert-making essentials. My goal here is to have what I need to make just about any baked good or dessert that we could want. I fall short on a couple of ingredients, but overall I'm keeping my baking cabinet well stocked.

The Guide

There are a few items that I find essential to my baking and dessert preparations. These are the basics for my baking.

sweeteners

molasses 

I buy molasses in 1-gallon jugs at the restaurant supply. 1 gallon lasts us about a year to a year and a half. I use it in making pancake syrup, brown sugar, whole wheat sandwich bread, and specific recipes which call for molasses, like gingerbread cake or cookies.

granulated sugar 

I buy white granulated sugar in 50-lb sacks at the restaurant supply. My last bag was $18.75, or 37.5 cents per pound. It's a lot of sugar, yes, but I'm doing a lot of baking!

confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)

I buy confectioners sugar during holiday baking sales (Christmas and Easter), for $1.99/2-lbs or less. I typically buy 4 or 5 bags per year, and use in some cookies, to top items like waffles or brownies, and in butter cream frosting and glazes.

corn syrup 

I don't use corn syrup for much, primarily for candy-making at the holidays. I buy corn syrup in the 32-oz container, which will keep for years and years. I also use a small amount of corn syrup in homemade bubble solution for the kiddies I babysit.

Sometime this year, I'd like to add honey to my baking supplies. Perhaps this summer from the farmer's market. One of my daughters bought and used honey in homemade nougat this past Christmas.

flavorings

cocoa powder

The flavor of different brands of cocoa powder varies. Some folks might prefer a specific brand Hershey's is actually quite good, even though it's just a supermarket brand. But, before we get all snooty about which brand tastes best, I remind myself that the cocoa powder will be mixed with a half-dozen other ingredients, making the flavor of individual cocoa powder brands mostly indistinguishable from each other.

vanilla extract

I make my own once per year unless family members gift me a bottle as a Christmas present.

maple flavoring

I buy this in 16-ounce bottles at the restaurant supply. 16 ounces lasts for about 5 to 10 years in our house. I use maple flavoring in our pancake syrup as well as baking that includes pumpkin and/or apples (muffins, quick breads, granola, cakes, cookies).

almond extract

I buy almond extract in 16 ounce bottles at the restaurant supply. One bottle lasts a decade or so in our house.

spices

I keep cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, mace, allspice as ground spices and as whole spices. I've found whole spices that are freshly ground to be far superior in baking than packaged ground, and I will use the fresh ground for special recipes or occasions.

assorted jams, jellies and preserves 

Every summer I "put up" preserves, everything from cherry preserves to blackberry or raspberry jam, plum jam to crabapple jelly, and sometimes red currant jelly. These can be used to fill cookies, make homemade pop-tarts, add a layer of flavor to cakes, or spooned on top of tapioca or rice pudding.

bottled lemon juice

I buy lemon juice in 1 gallon jugs, at the restaurant supply. I keep this in the fridge, to use in beverages, to flavor glazes for pound cake and bundt cakes, make lemon flavored desserts (lemon bars and lemon meringue pie), and to make lemon curd for scones and toast. Lemon juice can also be used as the acid to stabilize egg whites for whipping.

leavenings

baking powder

I keep a small container of homemade baking powder (baking soda, cream of tartar and corn starch or arrowroot) for recipes which won't have liquids added (some cookie recipes, mostly). I use a combination of baking soda and vinegar as a substitute for baking powder in all other recipes. Both of these homemade concoctions are completely aluminum-free and easily made from very basic ingredients.

baking soda

The large boxes of baking soda are no more economical at our restaurant supply than the small boxes when found on sale or at the dollar store. So I buy small boxes as I need. In addition to baking, I use baking soda to neutralize acids in fruit desserts and sauces and as a scrub for the kitchen and bathroom sinks. In addition, I use a combination of baking soda and vinegar as a substitute for baking powder.

vinegar

I buy 1-gallon jugs of vinegar to use in cooking and as part of my substitution for baking powder or for souring the milk portion in a recipe calling for buttermilk. Vinegar is also my go-to cleaning solution for bathrooms, the kitchen floor, inside of appliances, etc. It should be noted that vinegar should not be used on real stone, such as the very-popular granite countertops.

cream of tartar

I keep a small amount of cream of tartar in the cupboard for homemade baking powder. I only use this DIY baking powder for recipes which I don't want to add any liquids (the vinegar), for example a couple of cookie recipes.

yeast

I buy yeast in 2-lb bags at the restaurant supply. I transfer yeast from these bags to a small jar (stored in the fridge) and store the rest in a large ziploc bag in the freezer.

sour dough starter

Sour dough starter replaces yeast in bread-making. I keep a 12-ounce jar of sourdough starter in the fridge. I made this starter from flour, yeast and water, about 2 years ago. I use it about once per week to keep it fresh and active. I can make a large loaf of bread with nothing more than some of this starter, 4 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons salt and water. About the cheapest bread I know. Want to make your own sourdough starter, here's the how-to on Making Sourdough Starter Using Only Flour and Water.

eggs for baking

When I find a great sale on eggs (99 cents to $1.29 per dozen), I buy a few extra dozen eggs to freeze for use in baking later. I pour beaten eggs into muffin pans, freeze solid, then pop out and store in freezer bags. I currently have 4 dozen eggs in the freezer for baking throughout summer and into early fall, when egg prices are historically higher in my area.

thickeners

cornstarch

I mostly use cornstarch as a thickener for puddings and sauces. I buy cornstarch in standard-sized boxes at the restaurant supply, Walmart or WinCo for under $2, sticking to the store brand. For the recipes that I use cornstarch, name brands don't make a difference. Cornstarch keeps for years. I keep it in a tightly covered container. 

tapioca pearls 

I buy small bags of whole tapioca pearls at the Asian market for roughly 1/3 the price of boxed instant tapioca sold in American grocery stores. Yes, whole tapioca pearls take a lot longer to cook, but they're much more economical. Tapioca is not a grain. It's a root and can be used on a grain-free diet.

arrowroot

I buy small amounts of arrowroot at the natural foods and grains store or from bulk bins in WinCo. I buy just what I need. As a thickener, arrowroot tends to make dairy sauces and puddings a bit slimy. But I do like arrowroot as a thickener for a natural, no-sugar added fruit pudding (dried fruit re-hydrated in water or juice, then thickened with arrowroot).

oils and fats  

vegetable oils

I keep a few oils stocked in the pantry. I primarily use all-purpose vegetable oils in frying or sautéing Chinese food. I also buy high quality olive oil and avocado oil to use for fresh green salads and in some cooking applications. And I keep sesame oil available to use as a flavor finisher for stir fries.

butter

Butter stores well in the freezer, extending the freshness by many months. I stock up on butter twice a year when on sale, once during the fall and winter holidays and the second time near Easter.

solid shortening and fats

I buy solid shortening (Crisco) for pie pastry in 6 lb cans at the restaurant supply or in 3-lb cans at Walmart. I store shortening the pantry. I also keep a variety of saved meat fats in the freezer for cooking and baking. In addition, I buy all natural pork fat in jars to store in the fridge. When I make a 5-crust batch of pie pastry, I use 1 part park fat and 1 part Crisco-type shortening for the best ever flaky crust and old-time flavor. My exclusive scratch recipe for batch pie pastry is right here in Frugal Pie Hacks: The Crust. The recipe is highly customizable and practically fool-proof. The pastry yields tender, reliable crusts perfect for anything from savory pot pies to sweet fruit pies. The unbaked dough can be kept in the freezer for several months when wrapped in plastic wrap or bags in individual single-crust patties.

fruits

dried fruit

I buy raisins in 2-lb bags at the restaurant supply or from bulk bins at WinCo. I also buy dried apricots, prunes and cherries in mid-summer when the local drugstore puts them on sale. I squirrel these away until fall and winter when our garden fresh fruit is less plentiful. For banana chips, the dollar store has the best price. I also dry homegrown cherries, plums, and sugar-dusted rhubarb in the dehydrator. I've found it's less expensive to just buy dried fruit when on sale than to buy fresh fruit for drying at home. The exception to this is bananas when on a fabulous sale for banana chips and whole watermelons in the peak of summer for melon leather.

If you grow rhubarb, you can convert some of the fresh rhubarb into a sweetened chewy fruit to use topping a bowl of granola, in tossed salads, and in scratch muffins. Want to know how? Read this easy explanation in Rhu-sins: Dried Sweetened Rhubarb.

candied fruit 

I buy fruitcake fruit mixes after Christmas on clearance when about 50 cents per package. It keeps unopened for a year or more. Once opened, I store the rest in the fridge. My current package is about 1  1/2 years old, and still perfectly fine. I used 1/2 cup in our traditional Easter bread last month. I also make candied orange peel, which I chop and freeze to use in baking and to extend the fruitcake mix or add something a bit more natural-looking than the green and red citron found in those packaged candied fruit mixes.

citrus zest

When we have whole citrus, I do something to salvage the peel, either make citrus-vinegar cleaner, candied orange peel, or zest and freeze the citrus to use as flavoring in baking.

canned fruit

I don't buy much canned fruit with exception to a few cans of pineapple -- nice to have around for pineapple upside down cake,  to add to carrot cake, or to top homemade tapioca pudding.

frozen fruit

I freeze and can fruit from our garden each summer: whole cranberries, blackberries, chopped rhubarb, plums, sweet cherries, raspberries and blueberries. I use these fruits in coffee cakes, muffins, pies, cobblers, crisps, and fruit sauces throughout the winter months.

flours and grains 

flour

I buy whole wheat and all-purpose flour in 50-lb sacks at the restaurant supply. This amount lasts us about 3-4 months. The restaurant supply near us has a rapid turnover on the stone ground whole wheat flour, much faster than a supermarket. So I feel confident that this grain is fairly recently milled, which is key for retaining nutrients in whole grains.

other grains 

I buy cornmeal and oats in 25 lb. sacks, also at the restaurant supply. In a pinch, I use my blender or food processor to make oat flour for recipes. This can substitute for some of the all-purpose flour in quick bread and cookie recipes.  I buy brown rice in 50 lb sacks. Mostly this rice is used as a side dish for meals, but also I grind brown rice in my coffee grinder to make my own brown rice flour for GF baking.

I have 2 very large plastic food storage containers for the oats and cornmeal. It's my hope to purchase 2 more very large containers for storing the wheat flours, perhaps next year. 

I also have small amounts of white rice flour, tapioca flour, corn flour and buckwheat. I buy these alternative flours at a local health food store or at WinCo in their bulk section. It's a great place to buy just a small amount of any flour or starch for making your own non-wheat flour blends or homemade baking powder or just for trying something out to see if you like it.

odds and ends

salt

I keep Kosher salt for topping homemade pretzels and some breads, as well as pickling and making salsas. Kosher salt is iodine-free, resulting in better flavor for home canning. I also have a supply of iodized table salt, of which I buy several containers when I find a good sale. In addition to general cooking/baking, I use table salt as a scrub for my stainless pots. It works faster than baking soda in scrubbing out my stainless yogurt-making stock pot. And I buy sea salt and pink Himalayan salt to use as table salt.

nuts 

I usually have some sort of nuts in the house that I buy when I find a good deal, primarily at our local drugstores in late-November, but also I just keep my eyes open for deals on nuts. Otherwise, I buy whole or sliced almonds, pecan halves, peanuts, and unroasted sunflower seeds at Trader Joe's or at a local grocery store in the bulk section. I've found the unroasted sunflower seeds to be less expensive than the roasted. I can roast my own and save 50 cents or more per pound. I also keep a lot of peanut butter on hand, mostly for my peanut butter fiends, but also it's yummy in cookies.

cake and cookie decors

This includes sprinkles (bought on clearance after holidays), colored sugar (we make this ourselves), small candies like red hots (clearance purchase) and cut-rock/ribbon candy (after Christmas clearance) to use for decorating gingerbread houses, and jelly beans (after Easter clearance, used the next Easter to make chocolate and candy "nests" and for decorating gingerbread houses.

baking chips

I rarely buy milk chocolate, white chocolate or butterscotch baking chips. But when I do buy and open a bag, I keep the rest of the opened bag in the freezer. Not for freshness purposes, but to keep us from snacking on them. I do buy and stock-up on semi-sweet chocolate chips when I find a great sale. For most of our chocolatey desserts I use cocoa powder, saving the baking chips for very specific recipes (Dream Bars, chocolate chip cookies, Haystacks, Peppermint Bark and dipping homemade candies, dried fruit, nuts or pretzels). I've found that I can make a very satisfying fudge sauce or fudge candy with cocoa powder for a fraction of the price of chocolate pieces. While chocolate chips in brownies are always popular, I've also found that a cocoa powder frosting topping a pan of brownies will also make them very decadent.

To make shaved chocolate using baking chips: melt semi-sweet chocolate chips, spread on a baking sheet with a rubber spatula, pop in the freezer, then use a metal spatula to "scrape" curls. Just as pretty as shaved bar chocolate, but a lot less expensive.

To make dipping chocolate using baking chips: microwave to melt semi-sweet chocolate chips with a teaspoon of Crisco solid shortening. A favorite is to dip candied orange peel strips. I've given boxes of chocolate-dipped candied orange peel strips at Christmas with great success.

flaked coconut

Flaked coconut adds a wonderful texture to meringue cookies. It's also the foundation for making Easter candy "nests" when stirred into melted chocolate chips then mounded onto waxed paper forming nest shapes. The finishing touch is a trio of jelly beans in the hollow of each nest. 

marshmallows and mini-marshmallows

Marshmallows and mimi-marshmallows are the secret ingredient to making quick cereal bar cookies, like rice crispy treats or any ready to eat dry cereal. They also make a lovely topping for a cup of hot cocoa. And of course, who could leave out s'mores after a cook-out? Melty, gooey s'mores while sitting around the fire ring are a classic frugal fun activity.

food coloring

I use gel food coloring, the kind sold for cake decorating. I buy this from fabric and craft supply stores using a 40 or 50% off coupon, one small jar at a time. I keep the vials in a repurposed egg carton. The egg holders are just the right size for each vial of coloring. In addition to coloring for icings, I use these for egg dye at Easter, and occasionally "correcting" the color on a sauce or pudding that's supposed to be pale yellow but looks gray.

pie crusts

My pie pastry recipe referenced above under solid shortenings makes enough for 4 to 5 crusts. I sometimes make and freeze pie pastry in pie tins, making pie-making very easy. I also roll out pie pastry then roll up on a sheet of waved paper around repurposed cardboard paper towel tubes for easy to make crusts. This pie dough also freezes well in patties to roll out for baking at another time.

unflavored gelatin

I buy canisters of Knox gelatin in 16-oz canisters from Amazon. It's less expensive per ounce bought in a canister than in those little packets, and it keeps for years and years, even after opening.

whipped heavy cream

When I find a stellar deal on heavy whipping cream, I buy a couple of pints. I whip and sweeten most of it then freeze in mounds on waxed paper. These mounds of whipped cream make a lovely topping for desserts with no last-minute work for me. I simply place one whipped mound onto a serving of dessert and allow to stand at room temp for about 15 minutes to thaw. This trick is also genius for using leftover whipping cream after the holidays. A day or two after Thanksgiving I make whipped cream mounds to freeze that I will then use to top Christmas and New Year's dinner desserts.

With a baking cabinet filled with these items, I can bake just about anything we could want. I really enjoy baking. In a typical week I may bake a batch or two of cookies or wafers, a pie, 1 or 2 fruit cobblers or crisps, several loaves of bread, some muffins, pancakes or waffles, and a batch of cupcakes. That sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Keep in mind, I'm feeding a bunch of adults every day. It surprises me to see how quickly it all disappears! 

I hope this guide to baking and dessert-making essentials has been helpful to you. Are there any other items that you feel are an essential for your baking cupboard? Tell me in the comments below.