* This post is part of my “Make Ahead Holidays,” series, which will go through Christmas. I will tell you how to make the big day(s) less rushed, and how to make your feast cost the least.

I have a secret . . . I don’t attend cookie exchanges, because after spending hours in the kitchen carefully cutting out cookies, and mixing a batches of expensive ingredients, I normally end up with someone else’s slice and bake as part of my take. It may sound not very Christmas spiritish (new word?), but when that happens, it becomes more of a cookie donation.

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