Queen City Cookies Springerle Cookie Favors

It's amore at Queen City Cookies located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Celebrate betrothal and wedded bliss with elegant, delicious Springerle art. Express your fondness and appreciation to friends, family and colleagues with these thoughtful designs that will wow! Perfect for any color scheme but I'd package these beautiful white cookies in a bag with a black and white ribbon or tag as a wedding favor.

Cake Balls

Cake Balls (decorate in colors to match your theme)

Ingredients (Makes 36)

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 (16 ounce) container prepared chocolate frosting
1 (3 ounce) bar chocolate flavored confectioners coating

Directions

Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using any of the recommended pan sizes. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended. Melt chocolate coating in a glass bowl in the microwave, or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Use a melon baller or small scoop to form balls of the chocolate cake mixture. Dip the balls in chocolate using a toothpick or fork to hold them. Place on waxed paper to set.

These are easy to make, don't need a lot of ingredients, and the only time consuming part is decorating them.

This web site sells the chocolate confectioner's coating that you need for this recipe, your local craft store probably carries it as well. You can buy higher quality chocolate coating but it's more difficult to work with. http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/candies/chocolate.htm . Your local craft store or Sugarcraft will also sell the candy cups to place your chocolate balls in for display purposes. They come in a variety of colors.

Pesche or Italian Peach Wedding Cookies

Rustic peach wedding cookies called pesche are a beautiful additon to and Italian theme wedding. While they take a bit of work to put together, the oohs and ahs from your guests make them well worth the work.

The recipe makes 15 cookies. Remember, even if you're having 100 guests you don't need one cookie per person if you are making an assortment of cookies. You can make this recipe in larger quantities once you decide it's perfect for you weddding cookie table.

Pesche or Italian Peach Wedding Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup chopped almonds
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons instant tea powder
2 1/2 tablespoons brandy
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup red decorator sugar
1/2 cup orange decorator sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).

Combine sugar, oil, milk, eggs, baking powder and vanilla in large bowl. Blend in enough flour to form a soft dough. Roll into walnut size balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cookies will be pale. Remove to rack to cool. Hollow out cookie center. Reserve crumbs. Combine 2 cups crumbs, preserves, almonds, cream cheese, instant tea powder, brandy and cinnamon. Mix to blend. Fill cookies with crumb mixture. Press 2 cookies together to form peach. Brush lightly with brandy or water and dip one spot in the red sugar for blush and roll entire cookie in orange sugar. Top with a icing leaf or purchase the plastic peach leaves.

You don't want to know the nutritional info on these, trust me!

Recipes for Cookies for Your Cookie Tray

If you want to have cookies as favors or just as part of a sweet table and want to make them yourself, the cookbook "Sweet Maria's Italian Cookie Tray: A Cookbook" by Maria Bruscino Sanchez is a great reference book for you. Available from Amazon.com and other major booksellers, Maria's cookbook is a fantastic resource for recipes that range from drop and molded cookies to filled ones, biscotti, biscuits, taralle and pizelles, and many more. Cookie lovers will find plenty to devour in this compilation of Italian American favorites. Maria grew up in a closely knit Italian family, surrounded by Italian traditions and celebrations that her family brought with them from the 'old country.' As an adult she opened up her own bakery called "Sweet Maria's." It was at "Sweet Maria's" that she developed her recipes into Italian cookies with an American twist. Sanchez's precise directions ensure consistent results in the home kitchen, although you may need to go to the Italian Market to get all the ingredients needed. If you try it, please leave feedback on which cookies were a hit!

Floral Bites to Die For!

Holiday Candy Lane has done it again.  This Etsy artisan has made cookies that aren't your typical wedding favor cookies shaped like a wedding cake or a bridal gown. Instead they're brightly colored freshly baked sugar cookies that are shaped in rose cabochons. These flower cookies come in a variety of colors so you don't have to go monochromatic. If ordering for your wedding the bakers suggests you pre-order well in advance, and leave your event date at checkout in the note to seller section. You can order these and other delicious things at Etsy's Holiday Candy Lane.

Cannoli Fortune Cookies

You've seen Chinese fortune cookies for favors, but this website http://www.cannolibymail.com/ sells cannoli fortune cookies.  You can either have them premade (see their photo), or you can buy your own shells and make your own adding your own Italian wedding proverbs.  If you're adding your own here a few proverbs to get you started:

"Ne di Venere Ne di Marte non si sposa ne si parte!"
Neither marry nor depart on the day of Venus or of Mars!

"Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata"
A wet bride is a lucky bride (referring to rain on the wedding day)

"La buona moglie fa il buon marito"
A good wife makes a good husband.

"La moglie e' la chiave di casa"
The wife is the key of the house.

"Tra moglie e marito ... non mettere il dito."
Don't put a finger between wife and husband.

"Moglie e buoi ...dei paesi tuoi."
Wife and bull ...from your home-town.

"La prima e' Matrimonio, la seconda comagnia, la terza un'eresia."
The first wife is marriage, the second company, the thrid heresy.

"Meglio il marito senz'amore, che con gelosia."
Better to have a husband without love than with jealousy.

"Chi ha moglie ha doglie"
Who has a wife has strife.

"Chi non ha moglie non ha padrone."
Who has no wife has no master.

"Casa senza fimmina ‘mpuvirisci"
(Sicillian proverb) A house without a woman is poor

"Matrimoni e viscuvati, di lu celu su mannati"
(Sicillian proverb) Weddings and bishops are heavensen

DIY Pastel Custom Color Sprinkles

If you're making your own cookies for favors you know how hard it can be to find a custom color that coordinates with your wedding colors.  Just go to the web page for Such Pretty Things, home of some of the most spectacular DIY projects, to learn how to make your own designer sprinkles.  Don't settle for the ho hum colors in your supermarket or craft store, now you can have designer jimmies!  http://www.suchprettythings.typepad.com/my_weblog/page/2/

SoBelle Decorative Buttery Confections, Premier Designer of Decorative Cookies for Your Wedding

The designers at SoBelle have a variety of cookies for you to choose from for wedding favors. Colors and design are available to fit almost any wedding. The owner began baking at an early age and after years of perfecting her craft she now offers you the opportunity to use her creative cookie favors for your wedding. You can visit her at her web site www.sobellecookies.com SoBelle specializes in fresh, fancy and decadent cookies that are a treat to eat as well as being beautiful to the eye. They are made from the freshest ingredients and have no artificial preservatives.

(Photos courtesty of SoBelle Decorative Buttery Confection Web Site)

Cookie Trick from the Folks at Bake It Pretty

Having trouble rolling out that dough nice and thin and picking up the cut dough to get it onto the cookie sheet?  The folks at Bake It Pretty have solved this problem for you making DIY cookies a breeze.  They credit the trick to The Joy of Cooking, so if you have a copy of that in your library you can look there or go to their website where they've provided step by step directions and a video for those of you who are cookie rolling challenged!  http://www.bakeitpretty.com/blog/?p=548

The Flour Pot

The Flour Pot in Ambler PA provides some of the most attractive wedding cookies in the area.  The store is dedicated to providing a bride with the ultimate in wedding favors.  Browse their webpagem they specialize in handmade elegant party favors.  To get an idea of the variety of designs that they can offer you for your wedding day go http://www.flourpotcookies.com/.

 

How to Choose Your Wedding Cookie Favors

When you start to consider what your wedding cookies should look like first consider the theme of your wedding.  Is it butterflies? tulips? hearts? All of these can be incorporated into your wedding favors.  You could also choose a cookie shaped like a wedding cake, a gown or a diamond engagement ring.  Another option is a cookie related to your venue site.  If you're having it at the zoo choose a popular animal or several.  Whatever you choose be sure to taste the cookies before buying them and find a reliable baker who understands basics of wedding favor cookies.  They need to be a sturdier cookie, not something that crumbles easily, and it should be something that can be easily iced.  Whatever you choose you cookie will add that extra 'something' to your special day. 

(cookie photo courtesy of The Flour Pot, Ambler PA)

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Stick Favors

INGREDIENTS:
10 oz. bags of Pretzel Rods (plan to get about 20 per bag, which allows for broken/unusable ones)
12 oz. bag of Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips or melting bark (1 bag will cover three-fourths of about 40 pretzels)
12 oz. bag of Nestle white-chocolate chips
Shortening
wax paper

Optional: sugar crystals, chopped nuts, flaked coconut, or sprinkles can be substituted to coordinate with your affair

Materials (from craft store like Michael’s)

Wilton brand pretzel bags (20 cellophane bags per package – each bag can hold 2 pretzels)
fine-tipped plastic bottle (like the hair-dye bottles)
Ribbon
Scrapbooking paper for favor tags or use ready-made tags (I incorporated the paper I used from our DIY invitations purchased at Target. A box of 50 invitations cost about $35. Visit www.gartnerstudios.com for samples.)
hole-punch
paper-cutter
scissors

Notes and Instructions
Use Microsoft Publisher to design and personalize our favor tags. Cut out the tags in a simple rectangular shape and affixed them to a solid paper for a visual border. (I’m sure there are fancier tags that could be made, but I am more tech-savvy than scrapbook-savvy. Use your strengths when creating your DIY projects and your personality will show through.) Double hole-punch the tag to feed through ribbon.  Make in advance and set aside.
To melt chocolates, use a TALL coffee cup to accomodate the depth needed to cover most of the pretzel.  Pour the chips into the mug with 1 Tablesppon of shortening.  Microwave 30 seconds.  Stir and continue to
microwave in 30-second intervals until almost melted. (Be sure not to overheat as this will ruin the chocolate). Put the mug in a pan of warm water to keep the chocolate fluid and warm.  Dunk your pretzel leaving enough of a tip to use as an edible handle.  If you want to add sprinkles, do it before the chocolate melts.  If you want to drizzle with white chocolate, place your pretzel rods on wax paper to dry after dunking.  Melt the white chocolate and pour into drizzle bottle.  Move left to right and right to left with the pretzels in a line, making a fast and easy way to decorate your pretzels.  You can also color your white chocolate. 
Let pretzels dry overnight and place in cellophane bags.  Tie bags with your favor tags. 

Hearts and Flowers

The Whipped Bakeshop has a large selection of cookies for your wedding.  They're located in Philadelphia PA, but you can reach them from their website: http://www.whippedbakeshop.com/.  Just a few previews from their shop are shown above.