Cookie molds are great because of their design, and the fact that they are reusable. Ideal for classic recipes such as shortbread; simply fill your mold with dough, and transfer onto a baking sheet.

Baking sheets, available in stainless steel and as non-stick are an essential when making cookies. We suggest that you purchase several of them, as it is nice to have a few on hand for those really big batches.

Cookie cutters are very helpful. They are produced in so many shapes and sizes you can go wild with experimentation. Easy to use, you simply roll out your dough, press down on it with the cutter, and you're left with a great-looking cookie. You can also decorate with some nice icing work.

Keep cookie cutters in my mind for theme parties: if you are doing a Sunday Brunch sundae bar, try ice cream-shaped cutters. Throwing a going away party? How about airplane-shaped? Don't forget that not everybody likes gigantic cookies, so think about getting both large and small cutters.

Rolling pins are another essential tool of the cookie trade. It can be fun to collect both vintage and brand new pins. The thing to remember is to coat your rolling pin with flour both before and after you attempt each recipe.

Wire racks are the perfect tools for allowing your fresh-baked cookies to cool. The air has easy access to the cookies on both the bottom and the top, and helps them to dry. Just envision really crispy ginger snaps or raisin-studded oatmeal cookies. Don't forget to purchase some lifters for taking cookies off the rack. Stainless steel or even plastic spatulas work really well.

If your kitchen has that vintage look, head to an antique store or a garage sale to look for bronze molds. An antique nut grinder is another charming tool. Place a couple of almonds in it, twist the handle and you are left with a perfect coating for an almond cookie.

Last thing, and this is really coming into vogue now, is the use of a cookie press (my mom used to use hers constantly). Consisting of a canister, a handle, and a plunger that moves through the canister, fill it with your favourite cookie dough, and plunge it out into various forms. You can use different funnel forms, such as star-shaped, or you can use the discs, which come in a wide range of sizes and shapes.

Now, with all of these tools at your disposal, time to get baking!