Day 69: Lemon Lavender Cookie Bouquets

I now officially have a 7th grader (gulp!), a 4th grader and a 3rd grader! Let the summer fun begin!!!

We were luck to have such wonderful teachers this year! I wanted to make something special for them. A nice way to say thank you for all they had done for my boys this year.

While at a local craft store I found some really cute ceramic coffee mug planters. They were bright and colorful. Rather then fill the planters with flowers, I decided to try and make a flower cookies. The theme: "Thank You for Helping Me Grow Into One Smart Cookie"

This project is easy enough for beginners and is sure to make everyone happy!

I am going to break down the project into two parts. The first will concentrate on just the cookies. The second will explain how to put it all together.

I planted some lavender in our garden this year and was really excited to use it in a cookie!

Part 1: Lemon Lavender Cookies on a Stick

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For Cookies:                                                                                                              Printable Recipe

1 stick of butter                                   

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 TBS lemon juice

1 egg

2 1/2 cups of flour plus about 1/2 cup more for rolling

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 teaspoon fresh chopped lavender

lemon zest

Cookie Cutters

Cookie Sticks

For Decorating:

Royal Icing

Wilton Icing Colors (Aster Mauve, Delphinium Blue and Buttercup Yellow)

Piping bags and tips (5,16)

Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and lemon juice.

Mix in 2 1/2 cups of flour 1/2 cup at a time.

Add baking soda and salt

Stir in lavender

Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Once dough is chilled roll out on a floured surface and cut cookie shapes.
Roll the dough out thick enough for the stick to be easily inserted.

Insert stick.

Place on cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for one minute. Remove to rack.

Once cookies are cooled, decorate.
I used a Royal Icing mix and Wilton Colors.

Now for part 2: Assembling the Cookie Bouquet.

Needed:
A Base (the coffee mug planters)
Styrofoam
craft paper or tissue paper
cellophane
twine or ribbon
Printable labels

Once the royal icing set, I started to assemble.
First, I fitted each coffee mug planter with a block of Styrofoam.
Then I covered the foam with craft paper. Tissue paper would have been easier, but I was out.
Once the craft paper was secure I poked holes where I wanted to insert the cookies.
Keep in mind that you may want level changes so make the holes in the front deeper then those in the back.
Insert cookies.
Once cookies are in place, wrap the mug and cookies in the cellophane and tie at the tip with twine.

After the gift is wrapped place a gift tag or sticker on the package.
I used labels and a template from Gartner Studios. The web site made it super easy to design your labels and print.

This was a fun project that can be customised for any occasion! Graduation gifts, wedding shower centerpieces, baby shower gifts, anything!

I found everything I needed for this project at Michael's Craft Store.