A festive July 4th cookie bouquet (don't worry, you can start simpler!)
Sick of giving flowers as gifts? Want to give something that's just as fancy, but way more fun? Cookie bouquets are a great way to give a gift that's upbeat and edible, delicious and novel. This gift item has become popular for purchase, but you can easily make your own in the convenience of your kitchen. Make a single bouquet as a gift for one person, or make a bouquet that's meant to be shared. They make an excellent centerpiece at a party! Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Refrigerate the cookie dough (or simply wait to prepare it until you've completed step 4).
2. Use the sandpaper to hand sand the dowels smooth, making sure to pay special attention to the ends and to any rough areas.
3. Carefully wash the dowels to remove all traces of sawdust and any dirt. Remove any price tags and rinse them clean of all soap.
4. Soak the dowels in drinkable water for at least an hour. Alternately, you may run them through the dishwasher alone and without soap. Saturating them with water will prevent them from scorching when they are baked along with the cookies.
5. Grease or spray a cookie sheet. Form cookies using a measuring tablespoon, making each ball of cookie dough a level two tablespoons each.
6. Shape cookies in uniform shapes on the cookie sheet. Remember, you will have to leave room for the dowels, and it is especially important for bouquet cookies to be baked without touching one another, so there may be room for only one or two cookies at a time on each sheet.
7. Remove dowels one at a time (as you use them) from the water. Towel them dry, just enough to keep them from dripping water.
Carefully press dowels into the unbaked cookie dough, making a shape like a lollipop. The dowels should be securely engulfed, so reform the dough around them if necessary, making sure to keep the cookies as uniformly shaped as possible.
8. Bake according to your cookie recipe's instructions. Check the trays periodically to see if the dowels are drying out. If they are, spray them with a little water, taking care not to spray the cookies as well.
Remove cookies from the oven. Do not attempt to remove the cookies from their pan until they are fully cooled.
9. After completing enough cookies for a bouquet, begin your arrangement. If the entire bouquet is meant to be a gift to one person, first arrange the cookies in the vase, then carefully wrap the entire arrangement in plastic and tie it with a ribbon. If the bouquet is meant to be a centerpiece of cookies to be given to separate individuals, wrap each cookie head in plastic and tie with ribbon. When placing cookies, using floral foam in the bottom of the base will help to keep them in place.
Related posts
Candy bouquet gifts.Candy bouquets are a sweet alternative to sending flowers. Because of their uniqueness and mass appeal, they make great gift ideas. Starting a candy bouquet business from home...
A stacked balloon bouquet can be as tall or short as desired.Balloons offer party planners an inexpensive and versatile way to decorate a space for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings or other cele...
Korker bows, made from ribbons heated in the oven to look like corkscrews, bounce and swing as the wearer moves, making them especially popular with cheerleaders. The bows look complicated to make...
Attach gathered korker ribbons to a French barrette or an alligator clip to place in a girl's hair.Korker bows, when made correctly, resemble a perky, curly pompom. However, if not put together pr...
Corker bows, a sort of pom pom-shaped hairbow made of spiral ribbon, make for playful hair accessories for young girls and festive ones for cheerleaders. Save yourself a lot of money and pass on t...
