Peacock Wedding Favors - Homemade and Purchased - Your Guide

The peacock, because of its symbolism and beauty, is fast becoming a top wedding theme in North America. It has long been popular for weddings in different cultures and countries (India, for example). The peacock itself represents royalty, wealth and knowledge whiles its rich, vibrant colors of green, royal and turquoise blue, purple and gold are gorgeous when incorporated into wedding decor and favors.

Homemade: I'm going to talk about 3 types of homemade peacock favors:

\"Decorated Cookies\"

1) Favors given in a favor bag or box that is the color of one of many colors found on a peacock feather. Craft stores offer a large selection of favor bags and boxes, primarily found in the wedding section (organza bags and small favor boxes). There are also larger, colored paper bags found in the gift wrap section. To further decorate you can attach the eye of an actual peacock feather (and a bit of the stem) to the box or bag with a glue dot (again, found at craft stores and easy to use). Craft and floral stores have peacock feathers for purchase and there are several stores online that offer them in bulk. Simply type "Bulk Peacock Feathers" in a search to find sources.

Peacock Wedding Favors - Homemade and Purchased - Your Guide

2) Everybody loves to receive an edible favor and a peacock shaped cookie would be a much appreciated 'thank you'. You can find easily find an online source for a cookie cutter. Then find a reliable and delicious recipe for a sugar cookie and icing. Our favorite can be found at the bottom of this article. To frost, use an easy technique called "flooding" to decorate in one or more vibrant, peacock-inspired colors. To learn how to flood cookies go to google.com and type in "how to flood cookies"; the results given will provide many easy-to-understand videos and tutorials. Once the frosting hardens (I recommend letting them sitting overnight) put them individually into cello bags and tie with a pretty colored ribbon.

3) Add a themed favor tag to the favor of your choice? To do this go to google.com/images and type in peacock (or peacock feather) and select an image that you love. Copy it onto a word or powerpoint (or similar) document and copy it as many times it will fit on a page. Buy white or ivory cardstock and print on it. Cut out the shapes by hand and, with a hole punch, punch out a hole to put satin ribbon through for hanging. It's also lovely to hand stamp the back of the image with a "Thank You" rubber stamp. To find, look in the bins at craft stores (stamps and ink).

Purchased: Peacock wedding favors available for purchase continue to grow. You can give a keepsake favor such as a magnet featuring the bird or a feather; we recommend glass magnets for a higher quality gift. Christmas ornaments personalized in the theme are also lovely favors.

Edible favors include decorated sugar cookies (easily found via an online search), or white chocolate dipped oreos or graham crackers that have edible images (as well as text) on them. There are also cookie pops which are regular cookies dressed up in fancy, personalized, theme packaging. You can also find beautiful candy wrappers in this theme to wrap around Hershey bars; some are available as place cards too.

Several stores offer beautiful, personalized peacock favor boxes. Make sure you look for reviews from customers to ensure that the ones you purchase are professionally produced. Fill them with small candies, chocolate truffles, a scented votive candle or other small item.

This recipe is adapted from Penny McConnell who has a wholesale cookie business and sells decorated cookies to Starbucks. I have made the cookies and they are great. Very little spread, if any. You can roll them very thin if you like crunchy cookies or make them a bit thicker. She recommends baking on parchment paper. Be sure to add ALL the flavoring specified. It is a lot, but makes all the difference in the world.

Penny's Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 Tbsp whipping cream (can use half and half)

2 Tablespoon pure vanilla

1 tsp pure almond extract

½ tsp. salt

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixer combine butter and sugar. Beat only until combined and no lumps of butter remain. DON'T cream until fluffy.

Add egg, cream, vanilla and almond extract all at once and thoroughly blend. The mixture will look curdled but that's how it should.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add the mixture to the wet ingredients and blend.

Roll out to a thickness of ½-¼" inch and cut with a cookie cutter. Bake on parchment sheets for 8-12 minutes (depending on thickness and size of cutters) and cool on a rack. Makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on cutter size.

Dough does not need to be chilled before using

This is the best cookie icing I have ever used and it hardens nicely for bagging but is not rock hard like royal icing. You will love it.

Sugar Baby Frosting

1 32 oz. pkg. confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/3 cup evaporated skimmed milk

1/3 cup white corn syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

1/3 cup water, boiling

Combine milk, syrup and vanilla in a saucepan over heat and add boiling water. Blend together with electric mixer. Add confectioners sugar and continue mixing until smooth. The frosting consistency is similar to a glaze. Color with powdered food coloring for decorating cookies.

You may purchase the powdered food coloring at cake decorating specialty stores, Walmart cake decorating department, or Hobby Lobby cake decorating department.

Copyright Diva Entertains, 2012

Peacock Wedding Favors - Homemade and Purchased - Your Guide

Deb Rosenberg is an avid entertains and has designed an exclusive line of beautiful peacock wedding favors offered only at DivaEntertains.com.

Homemade Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe

Old fashioned ginger snaps have a chewy center and are full of spicy ginger flavor that goes perfectly with a glass of raw goats or cows milk. The spices fill your kitchen and home with the smell of Christmas while the cookies are baking. Ginger has antioxidants and is an herbal aid for the digestion. What better way to help your digestive system than eating ginger snap cookies?

Homemade Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe

Cookies

1 cup packed raw dark brown sugar
¾ cup lard from pastured pigs
¼ cup blackstrap molasses
1 egg from pastured hens
2 ¼ cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon up to 1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon up to 1 teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Dehydrated cane sugar

Homemade Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Mix together the brown sugar, lard, molasses and egg until creamy.

Step 2: In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and sea salt. Stir a little at a time into the sugar mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or more.

Step 3: Preheat oven to 375°.

Step 4: Using a teaspoon, scoop up dough into rounded balls and dip into the dehydrated cane sugar. Place the balls of dough, sugar side up, onto a greased (with lard) cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes just until set. Remove from the cookie sheet onto a platter and let cool.

These cookies are chewy and delicious. And they contain the natural sugars and molasses that still have the minerals and vitamins intact, and a healthy fat that nourishes our bodies. The spices not only promote health, they are delicious and make your house smell better than using candles.

©2009 Shanna Ohmes

Homemade Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe

Discover more natural foods and how to prepare them by clicking the following link The Natural Living Site

How to Make Your Own Homemade Cookie Bouquets

We've all seen them. Clusters of big, gourmet cookies, individually wrapped in shiny, colored cellophane, with bows and ribbons. They come in many styles and with different treats, toys or gift items attached to or inside a basket or vase of some sort. They make a terrific and edible gift idea. After all, who doesn't love cookies? Sadly, they can be very expensive gifts, especially when considering that cookies don't cost a whole lot to bake.

Here's how to make your own cookie bouquets at home without spending a fortune!

\"Decorated Cookies\"

What You Will Need:

How to Make Your Own Homemade Cookie Bouquets

* Chopsticks or Wooden Skewers - Make sure they are heat-proof. If you're baking smaller cookies, then Popsicle sticks would also work.
* Cookies - Find a delicious cookie recipe that makes larger size cookies, your favorite or your gift recipients favorite will do fine.
* Container - This needs to be a sturdy container that is a bit bottom heavy, especially if you plan to include more than a few big cookies. You can try putting some pebbles in the bottom to make sure the container won't tip over, if needed. Some ideas for containers include: a coffee mug, a metal or plastic pail, a basket, a vase, a planter, cookie jar or glass jar, glass bottle, a toy or wood box of some sort, teapot, porcelain or pottery serving ware.
* Cellophane - The shiny, colored kind looks best, but the colored plastic wrap you get at your local supermarket would work too.
* Ribbon - The curly kind works well for this. Any colors you like.
* Decorations - Anything goes! What's appropriate to the occasion and what does the gift recipient like? Some ideas include: stuffed animals, small toys, candy, balloons, fake or real flowers, stickers or whatever you find at the local craft store.
* Block of Styrofoam or florists foam - You know that stereo you bought last December? You probably kept the box, just search your garage for some spare, clean, Styrofoam.
* Something to cover up the Styrofoam or florist's foam - You can use a big ribbon, some moss, plastic grass, tissue paper crumpled up or whatever else you have handy.

Instructions:

1. When you place the cookie dough on the cookie sheet, press the dough down a bit to flatten it so that it doesn't spread too much while baking and so that the stick can be inserted properly. Before you bake the cookies, you must insert the chopstick or wooden skewer into one side of each cookie. Push it in almost the length of the cookie without going out the other end. This is an important step, as if your cookie is too big and your stick is not sturdy enough, it simply won't hold it and the cookie may fall apart when you pick it up. When baking big cookies, you probably won't be able to fit more than 3 cookies with their sticks to a sheet.

2. After baking the cookies with their sticks, cool the cookies thoroughly, then wrap each one with the colored cellophane. A different color for each cookie would be ok, or all the same color appropriate to the occasion. Tie each one with some curly ribbon at the base where the stick comes out of the cookie. Tie it very tightly so the cookies will stay fresh on the stick. You can adorn each cookie with additional, larger ribbons or bows at this point. When using curly ribbon, don't forget to curl it!

3. Now cut your Styrofoam or florist's foam to the size of the top of the container you chose. Then fit the foam in so it is nice and tight and near the top of the container. Remember, you can place something heavier in the bottom of the container so that it does not tip over. Small pebbles work well for this. Remember that the sticks will poke through the foam and into the bottom of the container.

4. Here comes the fun part, let's assemble the cookie bouquet! Take each of your cookies and stick them through the foam so they go all the way through the foam and further, near to the bottom of the container. You can assemble the cookies in any manner you like, but most cookie bouquets have one cookie at the center that is taller than the other cookies, so keep that in mind. Decorate with additional ribbons, toys, candy, flowers, gifts etc. Each item can be attached with additional ribbon to the container or the sticks of the cookies or even with a glue gun (if appropriate).

5. Give your gift and watch the smiles! Make sure to give the bouquet as soon as possible after you have assembled it, you don't want the cookies to go stale!

Tips:

Make sure you bake enough cookies for your container, if baking small cookies, you may run out if you are filling a large container. Always bake more than enough. Surely your extras won't go to waste.

Bake both large and small cookies and use them both in the bouquet for a nice varied look like a more traditional flower bouquet.

More Ideas:

Some cookie bouquets use cutout cookies, these can be fun to make and decorate. Use your favorite sugar cookie cutout recipe and cut into shapes appropriate for the occasion. For cutout cookies to work, you may want to double your sugar cookie recipe as the cookies need to be nice and thick for the stick to go through them. For this type of cookie, wooden skewers will work best, chopsticks may be too thick. Then decorate the cookies with frosting. No need for colored cellophane with these cookies, use regular plastic wrap or clear cellophane so that the beauty of your hand decorated cookies shines through.

Remember, your cookie bouquet doesn't need to look professional, it's the homemade touch that makes it a truly special gift.

How to Make Your Own Homemade Cookie Bouquets

Ricky Alberta is the editor of Cookie-Recipes.net, the premiere website for cookie recipes of all kinds including chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter and Christmas cookie recipes, cookie baking tips, a cookie blog and message boards.