Recipes and a FREE Shopping List for Aldi included.
The Holiday Baking Season is Here
Have you started your holiday baking? I love to bake for the holidays and tend to make too many cookies. Thankfully, these freeze well so some years we are eating Christmas cookies in February.
Over the years I have made some of the following cookies each Christmas. From low-fat sugar cookies that are not lacking in flavor, to fudge here are 12 recipes that my family has enjoyed.
Low-Fat Sugar Cookies Carmelita Bars Pecan Pie Bars Crackle Toffee Fudge Crackle Cookies Easy Chocolate Fudge Lemon Pecan Slices No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars Raspberry Strippers Peanut Butter Truffles Oreo Cookie Balls Raspberry SpiralsA Note about the Low-Fat Sugar Cookies
I am not a huge fan of sugar cookies but will eat these. I make this cookie each year. I am not sure where I originally found it, but I have it written on the bottom of another recipe I tore from a magazine over 10 years ago. This recipe makes a smaller batch than other sugar cookie recipes which is why this is the one we make each year. Our family has rolled out close to 3 dozen cookies depending on the shapes we use. I make this ahead and put the dough in the refrigerator overnight. Before rolling and stamping out the cookies let the dough set out at room temperature for a few minutes. I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Budget Bonus: This recipe does not use a lot of butter!
How Much Butter Should I Buy so I Don’t Run Out This Christmas?
Have you started baking only to realize you don’t have enough butter for the recipe you wanted to make? While you may have some butter in the refrigerator from past purchases, how much do you need to make all the holiday treats and more this year?
Depending on what you are making will determine how much butter you should buy. Aldi is currently limiting the sale of butter to 4. So, given that you may need it for other holiday recipes that are more savory than sweet, here are some typical measurements for butter.
½ Stick = 4 Tablespoons = ¼ Cup
5.3 Tablespoons = 1/3 Cup
1 Stick = 8 Tablespoons = ½ Cup
1 ½ Stick = 12 Tablespoons = ¾ Cup
2 Sticks = 16 Tablespoons = 1 Cup
4 Sticks (1 pkg.) = 32 Tablespoons = 2 Cups
SGD Baking Tips to Save Money
1. Double up: Try making 2 or more recipes that call for the same ingredient, like rice crispy cereal.
2. Say NO: If there is an ingredient you know that you will not use after the holiday skip the recipe and save the money!
3. Try Alternatives: If there is a recipe that you want to make but some of the ingredients are not in your budget, find a less expensive alternative.
4. Substitute: I often substitute pecans in recipes that call for walnuts because of a minor food allergy in our family. Pecans is an item that we use year-round in other recipes like Energy Bites.
