Having a baking plan saves time and money

Rising food costs have certainly taken a toll on family budgets this year. But before you cancel your holiday baking session, hear me out. Home baking actually saves money and offers other sweet benefits.

When I was in culinary school, we adopted a tradition of giving homemade holiday cookies instead of store-bought presents. What a revelation!

Instead of pushing my way through crowded stores desperately seeking the perfect gift, I perfected my signature cookie recipes. Over the years I learned that these gifts of food seldom get returned and - here's the big surprise - I saved a lot of money.

You need not be a pastry chef to pull this off. Anyone with an oven and a few ingredients can create culinary magic with home-baked gifts.

This year pare down that list of gifts you plan to purchase and add homemade treats to the list. Dig out your cookbooks, dust off family cookie recipes and give grandma a culinary SOS call (she'll love you for it) to develop your baking plan.

Pick just two or three cookie recipes of varying styles and ingredient content. Select recipes that you like or have successfully baked before. How 'bout sugar cookies or shortbread paired with nutty or fruity cookies. Baking too many varieties dilutes your time and attention and that can mean less than desired results.

Follow these baking secrets to create culinary and budgetary magic this holiday season.

• Before you hit the store, pull out the spices, flours, leaveners and sugars stashed in your cupboards. Think about what you can make with what's already on hand.

When money's tight, it's important to know which ingredients are OK to keep and which should be tossed. Don't replace costly spices unless they are very old or compromised. For example, ground cinnamon and nutmeg may lose some potency but can still be used. Boost the flavor by increasing the amount of spice by 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon, depending upon the recipe.

• Check expiration dates on leavenings. Replace inexpensive baking soda and powder if almost empty or no longer fresh. Old leaveners ruin cookies; replacing them is cheap baking insurance.

• Start shopping for staples now. Stores always offer great deals on butter, flour and sugar the week before Thanksgiving. Butter freezes well, so stock up.

With the exception of chocolate, generic or store brands offer a good product and generally cost less. Not all bags of sugar are the same size, so make sure to compare the cost per unit of various brands.

Scan ads for all the stores, not just your favorite grocer, and plot your course. Trader Joe's offers great selections and good prices for shelled nuts and chocolate.

You can save time and gas by picking up sale items at stores on the way home or in combination with other errands.

Shop commercial food outlets such as GFS (Gordon Food Service) for inexpensive butter, vanilla extract and parchment paper, etc.

• Artificial vanilla is just as good in cookie recipes as the pricey authentic extract. If you only need a small amount of flavoring, try substituting an equal amount of brandy or whiskey to add holiday spirit to a favorite recipe. Coffee and orange liqueurs, for example, pair nicely with chocolate doughs.

• If you want something chocolate without the expense of bar chocolate, replace 1/2 cup of flour in your sugar cookie dough with 1/2 cup of cocoa powder.

• Don't go it alone. If your baking skills are rusty, enlist a friend or neighbor who loves to bake. Most bakers will jump at the chance to share their knowledge. And draft the kids; not only will they learn valuable kitchen skills, but they will have something of themselves invested in the holidays.

• Make the doughs ahead of time (wrap well if you're going to freeze them), then select a day to bake, decorate and pack.

• Before you purchase new cookie cutters, ask if friends or family can share supplies. They might have the angel you seek; you might have just the star they were looking for.

• Skip the pricey containers. Dollar stores sell inexpensive cookie tins and packaging. Create homemade platters by covering paper plates with foil or wrapping paper. Include an ingredient list for people with nut or spice allergies.

Try this recipe: No need for two pies this Thanksgiving. This Pumpkin Pecan Pie (originally published November 2006) combines the best of both pies and saves time and money.

• Annie Overboe, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, lives in Villa Park. Send questions to Baking Secrets, Daily Herald Food section, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or e-mail food@dailyherald.com. Questions will not be responded to personally.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Crust

11/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

2 tablespoons butter flavored shortening, cut into small pieces

5-6 tablespoons cold water

Filling

11/2 cups pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 eggs, divided

11/4 cups pecan halves, divided

1/3 cup brown sugar corn syrup

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Set aside a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan.

For the crust: In food processor bowl, pulse flour, salt and sugar until mixed. Add butter and pulse for three, 5-second intervals. Add shortening; pulse at 5-second intervals until mixture begins to come together and resemble pea-sized crumbs. (Alternately, place flour mixture into deep bowl. Using forks or pastry blender, cut in butter and shortening until mixture feels crumbly.)

Turn mixture into large bowl. Sprinkle in water and mix gently with fork. Using hands, press dough into ball. Add more water if dough feels too dry. Press into disc, cover with plastic wrap and chill 30-45 minutes.

Roll dough on floured table to fit 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Crimp edges and chill 10 minutes.

Gently prick dough with fork and pre-bake shell 8 to 9 minutes. Cool on rack and reduce oven to 350 degrees.

For the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, milk, brown sugar, spices and 1 egg. Spoon into pre-baked pie shell. Gently arrange 1 cup pecan halves in concentric circles on top of pumpkin filling. Chop remaining 1/4 cup pecans. Sprinkle chopped nuts over halves filling in any spaces. Set aside.

In medium bowl, gently whisk together corn syrup, sugar, remaining egg, melted butter and vanilla. Drizzle over pecans completely covering. Bake 45-50 minutes until center feels slightly firm and tester inserted 1-inch from edge comes out clean.

Cool 2 hours at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving. Bring to room temperature for best flavor.

Serves eight.

Baker's hint: For a deeper color and caramel flavor, substitute dark brown sugar for the light brown in the pumpkin filling.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 434 calories, 25 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 50 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 7 g protein, 79 mg cholesterol, 197 mg sodium.