Piping cones (aka pastry bags, piping bags, decorating bags) can be used in a lot of ways. Use them to decorate a plate with sauces, to pipe chocolate or frosting, or with a bigger opening, to attractively dispense things like mashed potatoes or other purees. Add a piping tip to create fancy textures. You can purchase bags (both disposable and reusable) specifically for this purpose, or you can use a ziplock bag and cut off the corner. Or, you can do what the pros do and make a disposable bag out of parchment paper. Parchment paper has a lot of uses in the kitchen, so it’s something you should keep around anyway, and it’s a bit more environmentally friendly than throwing away plastic bags. Check out this video from Gourmet.com that shows exactly how to do it: Get the goods:

• Pre-cut parchment triangles
• Parchment paper sheets (a kitchen staple – LOTS of other uses besides bags)
• Disposable bags
• Washable bag
• Basic tip set

Have you used a piping bag before? What’s your favorite type?