While on the subject of being on a budget, I clip coupons and watch the baking sales all throughout the fall, and spend about $5 a week of my grocery budget every grocery shopping trip on baking supplies. In this way, I am able to gather all the ingredients necessary for our big cookie baking extravaganza. One store puts bags of flour for 99 cents, and bags of sugar for 1.99! There is a limit of 2 so I just added 2 bags to every shopping order for a few weeks! Chocolate chips always go on sale at one point, and there are always coupons to be had on the internet.... Then another week I buy extracts and spices.... By the time mid-December rolls around, I have everything I need!
For the tins and packaging supplies, I take a quick run out after Christmas and shop the after-Christmas clearance sales. While the best selections are all picked through, I can usually find enough tins, plates, wrappers, and treat boxes at 75% off. After purchasing, I will pack them up in my attic for storage till next year, and always have more than enough packaging supplies for the cookie plates!
Cookie trays waiting to be delivered |
This year, we made two new cookies that were a huge hit - melted snowmen and Cucidati.
The melted snowmen cookies were from a recipe I found on Pinterest.
As far as Cucidati, my husband loves them, but I have never made them before. I am not Italian, and have never seen them made. So I searched out a recipe and gave it a try. It was pretty amusing. My first few attempts looked funny, and my family had all kinds of opinions of what they resembled.... from scones to pizza bites! I finally did have some success and had a few that turned out looking halfway decent. No matter what they looked like....they tasted wonderful! I think I might have to find some Italian grandma to give me some lessons before next year!
I think the funniest moment was when Kelly asked what was in them....and called them Cuci.."mommy's" instead of cucidati's!
First attempt at making cucidati |
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