Some Sweet Appreciation

 

I absolutely love giving homemade gifts, especially when it comes to end of the year gifts for teachers! Yesterday I set out to make a cookie bouquet for Colton's 1st grade teacher.

 

For this project I used a flower pot I bought for $1.00 at Walmart. Shredded paper (for a filler), decorative ribbon, and floral foam (also all from Walmart.) I used Bamboo Skewers for my cookie sticks because my Walmart didn't have extra long sucker sticks. I also included a couple of packets of flower seeds.

I won't tell you that this was a cinch to throw together or that it was a quick project. That would be a lie! I will tell you that yesterday, I learned the hard way that when making a project such as this, peace and quiet is required. My prettiest cookies were decorated after the kids were in bed and I no longer had anyone running through my kitchen asking for juice or trying to taste the frosting. I will also admit that at some point yesterday afternoon while I was frantically trying to decorate these little buggers, the hubby rolled up his sleeves and gave me a hand. It was definitely a family affair! 

 

 

Colton included a homemade card. It said something like this..."thank you for teaching me how to write and draw. So now its time for you to rest. We made you some cookies. So Bye." All his idea! It was so adorable! Of course, I can't tell him that or he'd get mad at me.

 

 

I'll also give credit where credit is due and tell you that I found the instructions, tips, and the sugar cookie and frosting recipes on the blog Your Home Based Mom, which is my new favorite place. If you're going to try this out, make sure you go there first.  I also included in my bouquet some Chocolate Chip Cut Out Cookies because I wanted some variation, and because I think no treat is complete without a bit of chocolate. The recipe is below.

 

Here are a few of my own tips for putting together a cookie bouquet:

 

* Do not make big cookies, or cookies bigger than about 4 inches wide or tall. My biggest flowers fell off their sticks once they were upright because of their weight.
*Make more cookies than you need...better safe than sorry.
*Cut sticks to various sizes, within 1-3 inches. Try to keep your heaviest cookies on the shorter sticks to prevent then from falling off.
*If you don't plan on giving away your bouquet until the next day, hold off on putting your cookies in the arrangement...just in case. You don't want to wake up to a crumbled bouquet.
*Wrap your finished bouquet in a big piece of cellophane paper tied off with a decorative bow. It will look pretty, and keep your cookies fresh until they are delivered.


Chocolate Chip Cut Out Cookies
inspired by a recipe on cooks.com

 

1 c. softened butter or margarine
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. miniature chocolate chip

Cream butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat in egg yolk.

 

 

In another bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add to butter mixture.

 

 

Stir in miniature chocolate chips. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

 

Roll dough out onto a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. (insert skewers or long sucker sticks if using for a cookie bouquet.)

 

 

Chill for 10 minutes and bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until edges begin to brown.