Gadgets: Bismarck pastry tip

Have you ever wondered how pastry chefs and doughnut shops are able to pipe those perfectly puffed eclairs and plump jelly doughnuts with their glorious fillings? It takes a very long piping tip.

Better known as a Bismarck pastry tip (named after the doughnut), these handy little gadgets make simple work of filling all sorts of baked goods: classic pastries, doughnuts, even cupcakes. Trying to fill a delicate pastry using a standard pastry tip can be almost as messy as eating one; the tip is often just too short and thick to reach the center of the baked good. Bismarck tips are shaped like a standard piping tip but with a long tube attached at the end to make the job of injecting your favorite treats with all sorts of sweet goodness that much easier.

Bismarck pastry tips can generally be found at cooking and baking supply stores, as well as at select craft stores, and are widely available online. A Bismarck pastry tip should set you back only $3 to $6.

—Noelle Carter