Elizabeth Chambers comes from a long line of cooking pros and culinary entrepreneurs. Her grandmother had her own catering company and was “the Martha Stewart of this tiny little town in Mississippi,” she says. Her mom owned and operated one of the first health food stores in Texas,?and her sister attended the French Culinary Institute.
The longtime “Today” show and Food Network contributor officially carried on the tradition back in 2012 when she opened Bird Bakery in San Antonio, Texas. “I really wanted to just keep my grandmother’s recipes and her spirit alive,” she says. “She had these beautiful chiffon cakes and lemon bars that I wanted to Americanize.”
Bird Bakery has since expanded to Dallas and Denver, and a new outpost recently opened in the Cayman Islands. Each location is known for its fresh, from-scratch ingredients and offerings such as cupcakes, pies, sandwiches and granola. (Fear not: Its cookies, bars and jams can be shipped.) “I love the hospitality aspect of it,” she says. “There’s something about a bakery that really lends itself to celebrations and milestones. We’re a part of our customers’ lives in a visceral way that is very special.”
Chambers says she developed her love of the craft in college when she began her career as a model and TV personality while studying journalism at the University of Texas. “I was living alone and started baking hundreds and hundreds of cookies,” she says, adding that she tweaked her grandmother’s and mom’s recipes. “I just loved it. It was my therapy, like the way some people garden.” To this day, “Cookies are my happy place!”
Ahead, Chambers shares her seven favorite baking tools and tips with CNN Underscored.
“It will change your life,” she says of this nonstick baking mat, which can be applied to a pan or a sheet and replaces the need for butter, grease, oils and sprays. Chambers uses it when prepping her cookies: “Not only does it eliminate the need for cleaning, but the mat provides a nice finish to the bottom of your cookie. There’s a nice golden brown and no burn.”?
Related: These silicone baking mats have made us quit tinfoil for good.
This 1.75-ounce portion scoop enables quick mini servings of cookies (plus melon balls and bite-size veggies). “It’s a game changer in terms of portioning cookies at home,” she shares. Indeed, she says she often makes “rows and rows” of cookie balls and then stores them in her freezer. “Then if neighbors come over or if there’s a playdate, I just pop the dough in the oven and I’ve got freshly made cookies,” she says. “The whole house smells amazing!”
Related: The essentials list: Food Network star Kardea Brown lists her kitchen must-haves
Instead of stocking up on fancy (and pricey) juicers, Chambers recommends a nonelectric, old-fashioned squeezer with an ergonomic handle. “This is all you need if you’re doing a lemon square or a key lime pie,” she says. “It’s so easy.” (She also advises heating up the fruit in the microwave for 10 seconds prior to squeezing to make sure all the juice is loose.)
Related: The best juicers in 2023, tested by editors
Despite widespread belief to the contrary, she says that “not all measuring spoons are created equal.” Chambers points out that this set of stainless steel spoons — which measure in five sizes — feature the right shape with the right fine edge: “You want to make sure that you don’t have too much or too little of an ingredient, so you want that right finish at the top.”
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A strong arm and a big wooden spoon are no match for the real deal, which can blend and whip everything from nuts to egg whites. “It doesn’t take a lot of counter space, and it gets the job done,” she says. Specifically, she raves that her KitchenAid mixer “is far superior to the other brands because of its durability and quality.”
Related: The best hand mixers of 2023
Chambers reiterates that it’s all about having an edge — and each one of these durable stainless steel cups provides one. “When you get the flour out of the bin or the bag, you need to make sure not to overpack it or you’ll end up with a mountain,” she says. With a smooth line at the top, “you can ensure the amount is exactly right.”
This tool especially comes in handy for larger-scale recipes or when baking in volume. “If I’m doing parties and need to make 10 batches of Monster cookies, I’m not going to mix and shape and weigh every single one,” she says. No wonder she boasts that her sleek scale — that features a digital display and unit conversion button to measure in ounces, pounds, grams or kilograms — is the weigh (pun intended) to go.
Related: The best kitchen scales of 2023
