Dress Up Your Cookie Favors

Many cookie favors today are designed to be almost too beautiful to eat.  You can order them online, from your local bakery, or if you're talented and patient, make them yourself.  Most cookies run about five dollars each.  You'll find they are usually fresher if you buy them locally instead of ordering from the web.  Be sure to buy a sample cookie to taste test since you want your favors to taste and look good. 

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!