Sweets for Sweethearts

These sweet confections are too pretty to eat, but your guests will gobble them up like a cold watermelon on the fourth of July. Most of these cookie wedding favors are in the five-dollar range and usually you have to order a minimum of 12 or 18. You may get them cheaper at your local bakery. (Bring in a picture of what you want.) They are fresh if eaten within 7 days.













1. Claudettes Confections
2. Favor Studio
3. Cake Heaven
4. One Cute Cookie
5. Bright Ideas
6. Cakes by Cara
7. Cake Dot

Our friends at Beau-coup have an exclusive line of fall-themed cookie favors that are hand-decorated, and can include a special personalized message on each. Leaf, acorn, pumpkin and wedding cake cookies are available in two sizes and have a shelf life of three months. Individually wrapped in cellophane and tied with a matching ribbon, your guests will fall in love with these petite pumpkins and adorable acorns from Beau-coup.

Chock-full of flavor without the calories or fat, Katie Lee Joel from the Food Network developed this recipe, sensational for a bridal shower and remarkable at a rehearsal dinner. Save money by dressing these tasty treats up in cellophane with a hand-tied satin ribbon and give them out affordable cookie wedding favors.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried currants

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and rosemary. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer and a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, incorporating each egg fully before adding the next. Add the vanilla. and gently stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in currants.

Cut dough in half and shape into 2 logs. They should be about a 12-inches long; and 1-inch thick.

Bake until just starting to brown at the edges, about 35 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets. While the biscotti logs are still warm, cut each log into 1/2-inch wide slices on the diagonal. Place the slices back on the baking sheet (using 2 baking sheets if necessary to fit all the slices). Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Turn the biscotti over and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, until the biscotti are crisp.

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Only ONE bride and groom at your wedding? Maybe not! Want to win your guests over with something more fun than placecard holders and chrome bottle stoppers? Tickle their fancy with these charming edible wedding favors. Love to bake? Get the girls together and make your own cookie wedding favors by decorating heart shaped sugar cookies with royal icing (recipe below).

Bride and Groom Cookies



Bride and Groom Jumbo Apples



Bride and Groom Fortune Cookies



Bride and Groom Berries



Bride and Groom Cookies



Bride and Groom Pears



1. Bonbonier Wedding Planners
2. Greater Gourmet
3. Red Riding Hood Edibles
4. Chanda Gift Studio
5. Grace and Ida's Cookies
6. Project Gourmet Chocolate

Everyone loves cookies! Your wedding guests may not know what to do with an Asian silk hand fan or a personalized ice tea infuser, but there's no question that sugar cookies bring out the best in all of us. For the freshest wedding favor cookies there is your local bakery or online bakery. Some of the most amazing online are pictured here. If you decide to make homemade wedding favors, you need to have a lot of time and patience. Let the designs of the experts be your guide and remember in this case practice does make perfect.

Sugar Fairy Tales



Crazy Amys Cakes



Sweet Surrender Desserts



Rolling Pin Productions



Sacramento Wedding Cakes

I found this on the back of a Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix (17.5 oz pouch).

Heat oven to 375 degrees (or 350 for dark or non-stick pan). Make cookie mix as directed--except decrease softened butter to 1/3 cup and stir in 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour with the cookie mix. Roll dough on floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 2-inch cookie cutter. (Keep remaining dough covered while rolling and cutting first batch of cookies.) Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake as directed above. Cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet. Cool completely, Frost and decorate as desired.

No reason you can't make them yourself!

3 egg whites
1 lb. confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. almond extract or white vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in bowl and beat on medium high for a full 10 minutes. Icing will become thick and glossy but will not increase in volume. Keep covered with damp cloth while using, removing small portions to bowl as needed. Tint if desired. To thin, add a few drops of water. Royal icing hardens with a nice sheen.

Recipe courtesy of Cooks.com