The 5 must-have cookie baking tools, according to one of Philly’s most popular pastry chefs

Holiday season is just around the corner, but any day is ideal for baking a batch of cookies. Baking can (and should) be fun, but it can also be a chore without the right tools. That’s why we tapped chef Jezabel Careaga of Jezabel’s Café and Bakery, who knows a thing or two about cookies, for a little kitchen aid. (Wink wink.)

Careaga, who has been baking since she was 5 years old, specializes in alfajores, an Argentinian cookie available at her West Philly bakery. This classic butter-cookie sandwich is among the best kind of sweet treat, filled with dulce de leche and covered in coconut, or covered in chocolate and sprinkled with rose petals, as Careaga sells it. With baking season afoot, she shares some of her must-have kitchen tools for turning out consistent, bakery-worthy cookies. From a precision scale to wooden and marble rolling pins, home bakers can easily perfect Grandma’s recipe or start new traditions with their own creations.

Rubber spatula. Careaga suggests scraping the sides of your bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure every morsel of dough is baked into the cookies. “I love baking, but I don’t like cleaning,” she says. Fante’s Kitchen Shop offers the lightweight-but-sturdy GIR “ultimate spatula,” which features a non-slippery handle, flexible blade, and antimicrobial unibody design. The variety of colors — mint, red, or white — makes it easy to complement other kitchen tools too. Fante’s Kitchen Shop, 1006 S. Nineth St., 215-922-5557, fantes.com, $12.99

Digital scale. “If you want to have a great, consistent product, a scale will be your best friend,” says Careaga. The Escali Arti metallic glass digital kitchen scale at Kohl’s features a large, easy-to-read screen with exact weights in imperial measurements like pounds and ounces as well as the metric system’s grams. (It even measures fluid ounces and milliliters.) The functional but sleek design can weigh items up to 15 pounds, if you’re feeling particularly ambitious. kohls.com, $49.99

Bench scraper. Careaga often considers what happens post-baking prep. “If you’re working with dough on any surface at home — stainless steel, marble, or a kitchen countertop — you always want to have a bench scraper handy,” she says. “This tool scrapes [leftover dough] and makes your cleanup easier.” Get a tool that can do it all, including portioning dough and lifting cookies from baking sheets, like the OXO multipurpose bench scraper. Features include a soft nonslip grip handle and a dishwasher-safe stainless steel blade with quarter inch markings for precision measurement. $10.99; target.com

Baking powder. One of Careaga’s favorite items is baking powder, which helps create lighter, airy baked goods. “I always teach people how to get comfortable using baking powder and learn how they can have less chemicals in their food,” preferring to use only all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt for her treats. This universal baker’s staple can be found at a bevy of grocery and big box stores. Prices and locations vary.

Rolling pin. People have used all kinds of round, rollable objects to flatten dough in a pinch, but for those planning to bake often, invest in a proper rolling pin. Kitchen Kapers offers the Joseph Joseph adjustable wooden rolling pin, which features four sets of colorful removable discs that create the just-right pastry thickness for any recipe, from cookie dough to faves like pie crusts and tarts — Careaga is a fan of its versatility. For flair and functionality, consider a white marble rolling pin by brand RSVP, which helps dough stay colder. (It also comes with a handsome hardwood resting stand.) Kitchen Kapers, 8530 Germantown Ave.; 215-242-2866; kitchenkapers.com, $24.95 each