Whipping up a batch of home-baked goods for your child's teacher -- or babysitter or librarian -- may seem a pleasant enough idea. It's a wonderful way to involve your little ones in thanking their hardworking teacher.

But will that teacher cringe at all those extra calories, or recoil at the thought of eating food crafted by your child's grubby ... er, adorable ... little hands?

"There's a lot of different things that come in from homes that you may not choose to eat," says Sharon Drizd -- carefully -- a teacher who has worked near Chicago.

And yet, Vanessa Caporrino, who taught in New York and Connecticut, loved getting home-baked goodies while teaching kindergarten and first grade before taking a recent maternity break, especially if the treats were given in place of a trinket.

"If you're going to spend the $3 on the little plastic snowman, spend that $3 on Duncan Hines," she says.

Feeling inspired to pull out the eggs and flour this December? Here are some thoughts on making it work:

Personalize it: Include a card made by the child and/or a note from you thanking the teacher for helping your child. It will please the teacher and potentially soften the blow if they find your brownies unappetizing.

Tweak a classic recipe to make it special: Think chocolate chip cookies made with Belgian chocolate, or oatmeal cookies make with steel-cut oats. A special ingredient can make your box of homemade goodies more distinctive -- and tastier.

Check the school's policy about bringing in foods from home, especially things that include nuts, even if you don't intend for the teacher to share the food with the class.

Still unsure whether to bake this season? Don't worry, says Caporrino. "The teacher can always put them in the teacher room, if they're worried about calories or germs or whatever. They're not going to go to waste," she says. "Honestly, teachers will eat everything. You think a piece of pie isn't going to be eaten in that room? Somebody's going to eat it!"

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