Present decorated cookies as a unique and personalized wedding favor.
The serving of cookies at weddings enjoys a long tradition. Along with other foods and a decorated and tiered wedding cake, many cultures, such as Italian, Greek and Mexican, include a cookie table as part of the marriage celebration. Cookies range from simple hand-formed recipes of confectioner's sugar combined with butter and finely chopped nuts to personalized and decorated sugar cookies. Decorated cookies make a tasteful favor for guests to take home when attending bridal showers and weddings.
Shapes
Cutout cookies, such as sugar cookies or gingerbread cookies, are versatile options for creating a variety of displays. Craft the cookies in the form of hearts, tiered wedding cakes, or caricatures of the bridal party. Decorate heart-shaped cookies to appear like the bodice of a wedding gown or the labels of a tuxedo, or they form a romantic base to entwine the couple's initials. Use cookie cutters in the shape of a church or building to represent the place where the couple is being married or find shapes that go with the wedding theme.
Colors
Decorate wedding cookies with royal icing, which sets up into a hard, sturdy shell. Royal icing dyes easily with food coloring to match the bride's wedding colors and themes, or use a traditional white or ivory. The icing has the added benefit of forming a smooth surface for embellishment. Ice cookies in the shape of a tiered wedding cake to match the actual wedding cake. Use people-shaped cookies to represent the members of the wedding party, complete with tuxedos and bridesmaids' dresses in the bridal colors.
Embellishments
Prepare a butter cream frosting to add embellishments to the cookies. Use the frosting to form the wedding couple's monogram in the center of cookies and to outline the edges. Create lace and other patterns with frosting that echo features from the bride's gown. Add dragees or sprinkle with edible gold or pearl dust for a touch of elegance. Create edible shapes from gum paste and attach them to the cookies.
Stenciled Cookies
Create intricate stenciled designs from confectioner's sugar, cocoa and frostings.
Stenciling offers a technique to create intricate and unique designs on cookies. Use a variety of decorating materials for the stenciled image, including royal icing, butter cream frosting, colored sugars, or luster dust. Stencils can be used to create delicate flowers, lace, and monograms on the cookie's surface. Stencils range from the fun and whimsical to formal, elegant styles.
Using Fondant
Fondant is a pliable sugar-based product used to cover cakes and cookies. It is attached to the surface of the cookie with a thin layer of butter cream. Imprint the rolled fondant with a cookie press to reproduce intricate designs, and fit it over the top of the cookies. Fondant is easily dyed with food colorings to match the hues of the wedding theme. Use it to create embellishments, such as leaves and flowers, to place on top of iced cookies.
Presentation
For a special presentation of the cookies, insert them in cellophane or mesh treat bags and tie with ribbons in the wedding colors. Place a package at each guest's seat or arrange the cookie packets on a tiered dessert plate where guests may select their own favor. If the cookies are to be served as dessert or with the wedding cake, arrange them on silver or crystal plates on a separate cookie table. Surround the platters with flowers and greenery to create an eye-catching display.
Tags: wedding cake, butter cream, tiered wedding, butter cream frosting, confectioner sugar