If you had to choose to DIY just one thing for your wedding, it would have to be the wedding favours. There is nothing like surprising your guests with something truly unique and home-made, and it’s budget friendly too – far less pricey than any other favour you can actually buy. Don’t you just love those weddings where the guests find little jars of homemade jam, or gingerbread men, or cute and unique hand-decorated muffins waiting for them at the table? You can do it too – and very easily! Just make sure your groom mentions your home-made yummy favours in his speech – you deserve the credit for your efforts after all!
Image courtesy of AngieRiver
You don’t have the baking skills, you say? No worries! First of all, everyone knows someone who has a talent for baking – make sure you ask this person for advice of any kind, before you start! This way you know you have someone to help you out if you find yourself well and truly stuck. Secondly, there is loads of room for trial and error (unless you are making your favours the night before the wedding, which is NOT advisable by any means!), and cookies are ideal for this – you’ll find out very quickly, with very little effort and expense, whether you can actually do this or not. Thirdly, Internet is your best friend. Just google “world’s easiest cookie recipe” and you’ll find loads – even ones you can make in the microwave! Last but not least, here’s the most important piece of advice – the comments other people leave under most recipes are an absolute goldmine of information! There are all kinds of questions and answers, ingredient suggestions, and other super useful stuff – so make sure to read the comments, and you’ll soon be making all kinds of cookies out of the same recipe!
Image courtesy of RusticWeddingChic
To spare you all the looking, we have actually found our favourite recipe, so easy and yet so versatile, you’ll simply love it! It makes 35 cookies and you will know right after the first batch whether you can actually do it or not – and then all you have to do is decide how many cookies to allocate per guest, and you are done! This recipe comes from The Good Food Channel.
Basic cookie recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serves: makes 35 cookies
Ingredients
225 g butter, at room temperature
110 g caster sugar
275 g plain flour
ground spices, or finely grated zest (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3.
Cream the butter in a large bowl or in a food mixer until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Sift in the flour and spices or grated zest (if using) and bring the mixture together to form a firm dough.
Using your hands, roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place them slightly apart on a baking tray (no need to grease or line).
Flatten them slightly with the back of a damp fork and bake in the oven for 13–15 minutes, or until they are light golden brown and slightly firm on top.
Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
That’s all folks – it’s really that simple!
Image courtesy of TheCookieBatch
Some of the great things suggested by other bakers include: adding self-raising flour which will make the cookies bigger, adding vanilla essence and cinnamon, or coconut, or dark sugar and orange zest, or cocoa powder for a distinctive taste. By varying the oven time you can make them soft or crumbly. You can make several batches of different flavours for your guests too!
Next, you can decorate the cookies any way you like – for example, arrange chocolate chips on top in a shape of a heart, or bride and groom’s initials, you can ice them in any colour and any way you like, or dip half of each cookie in melted chocolate and leave out to harden. You can also leave them without decorations and simply put them into a little paper or organza bag tied with a pretty bow and decorated with a personalised sticker!
Available at the Confetti Shop, clockwise from top left: Seta Rose blush pink favour boxes | vintage lace favour bags | ‘Sweet’ paper favour bags | cellophane favour bags
The last thing to decide is how to package and present the cookies to your guests – the options are again endless, and you can be as creative as you like! You may use cellophane or organza bags, tulle circles tied with ribbon, personalised paper bags, favour boxes – anything you like that fits your theme – check out the Confetti Shop for lots of different options!
Weddings are remembered for the little personal touches – and home-made favours are one of the best ways to make your guests feel special. After all, who doesn’t like cookies?
Visit our Inspiration pages for even more wonderful ideas!
