Childhood favorites plus one maybe two more

December is the month for stocking up on baking supplies. Stores offer many items on sale for the season. It is the best time to purchase spices, as even on sale they can be quite expensive and unless you do a lot of baking, they get old and flavorless before you can use them up. Consider adopting some Spice Buddies. These would be several of your friends. Share the cost and the spices.

For instance, Lebkuchen calls for one teaspoon of ground Anise seed. Three or four bakers could share one jar without leftovers and space saved in your cupboard. This might be a fun idea for a pre-holiday gathe...