Clay Feat

Here’s a puzzle: What language uses a comma for a letter? None that we’ve ever heard. But there it is, plain as day in the name of artist Ivette Helfend’s line of ceramic art: Fres(,)ko. Much of her work is a puzzle too; her patented puzzle coasters, below, have earned her the attention of the Craft and Folk Art Museum and several retail shops. California Pizza Kitchen commissioned our favorites, the piece-of-pizza coasters; they reassemble into a whole pie and come in a mini pizza box. Helfend’s bright, hand-painted designs are also on teapots, coffee cups, above, even furniture. Helfend’s work is available at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles.

Dough Toy

We know that no matter how much we protest that cookies are really easy to make from scratch--it’s literally kid stuff--there are those who will not listen. And so, from the Dough Boy company, comes this holiday dough for cheaters. Like those industrial hard-boiled eggs that can be sliced into 50 servings, the center of this dough is a cheery green and formed into a Christmas tree. Just slice and bake. Decorations are included. Available at most supermarkets.

Rack It Up

Whether you use store-bought dough or your own, if you’re baking cookies for a crowd, you’re going to need a lot of space for cooling. We like this three-level rack designed to save space in small kitchens. Think of it as a sort of cookie high-rise. Available at Bristol Kitchens in South Pasadena.