Making treats to hand out is fun for the family and certainly yummy for everyone involved, but if you are not careful they can end up costing you more than going out and buying something! Keep that in mind when you are choosing a recipe to mass produce and be sure to work out how much each batch is going to cost you before settling on a recipe.
For example, generally nuts are quite expensive, so if you have to use them, try to choose a recipe that uses them minimally and perhaps even think about substituting a cheaper variety if possible. Pecans are usually more expensive than walnuts per pound, so why not try a batch of your recipe with walnuts instead and see if it is a change you are willing to live with :)
Many baking items such as chocolate chips, cream cheese and nuts come on sale over the holidays, so keep an eye out for savings. Also, store brands of items such as sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk can offer up to 50% saving with no recognizable difference in taste. Stock up with what you will need when the prices are low.
Many websites have fun holiday recipes highlighted at this time of the year:
- Very Best Baking by Nestle has a whole Holiday Village for you to explore
- Bakers Chocolate has a page for Heartfelt gifts that won't break the bank
- Kraft Foods has an Edible Gifts page
- Hershey's Baking has their Tried & True Gifting Recipes
- Betty Crocker has Holiday Gifts From the Kitchen Ideas
- Bright Ideas has all kinds of fun recipes and crafts using M&M's, Snickers, Dove, Twix, 3 Musketeers & Milky Way.
Whatever you choose to bake for your family or friends, make it extra special by attaching the recipe so that the person you give it to can enjoy your gift for years to come!
2 comments:
Amen to the cost. Thanks for some good suggestions on other recipe sites
There is a family favorite that I will sometimes leave the walnuts out because I am nervous about who may be allergic to nuts in the neighborhood. The dessert tastes just as good without them. Although, I do prefer to leave them in. But, it does save money not to include them as well.
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