When I was a little girl, my dad carefully bent wires so mom could make a cookie bouquet with her four daughters each Spring. I loved how pretty those cookies looked in a vase on the counter. It was a great memory from my childhood! As I became a mom with four daughters of my own, my mother handed down the cookie wires so I could make cookie bouquets with my girls. Each Spring we look forward to the cheerful craft that has become a family tradition!

Cookie bouquets are a stunning addition to any potluck or party. People love how pretty they are! Mini bouquets are also great gifts for May Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, or just to say I love you. Everyone loves these adorable edible bouquets.

Sugar Cookie Bouquets

Makes: 2 ½ – 3 Dozen Flower Cookies

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Inactive wait time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 10 minutes

Cool Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 ½ Cups Granulated Sugar

½ Cup Butter

2 Large Eggs

1 Cup Full Fat Sour Cream

1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon real salt

4-5 cups all-purpose flour (I don’t always use all the flour)

Royal Icing:

3 large egg whites (fresh local farm eggs, or pasturized)

3-4 Cups Powdered Sugar

Splash of milk or water, if needed to thin icing

Gel food coloring, if desired

Decorations:

Cookie sticks or heavy gauge craft wire

Spice Drops

Sprinkles

Directions:

Cookie dough

In a mixer with paddle attachment, add the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and mix well. Then add the sour cream and extract, if using and mix well.
In another large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Slowly add to the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Start with 4 cups of flour and add more, ¼ Cup at a time, until the dough forms a ball but is still slightly sticky.
Split the dough in half and form 2 disks. Wrap in bees wrap/plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. You may leave in the fridge up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Prepare your cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to slightly warm enough to roll out.
On a silicone baking mat or surface dusted with flour or powdered sugar, roll out the dough ½ inch thick.* Use a flower shaped cookie cutter to cut cookies. Re-roll dough as needed and cut cookies. (Our flower cookie cutter is 4 inches across.)
Place cookies on your cookie sheets, leaving 1 inch between them. Bake at 375° for 9-10 minutes, or until they are just lightly golden on top.
Immediately after taking out of the oven, carefully insert the cookie stick into the flowers, like a lollypop or cake pop.**
Allow cookies to sit for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack for 15 minutes to firm up before frosting.

Decorate

Make the royal icing and place in a shallow bowl, wide enough to dip the cookies. Hold the cookie face down and dip the face into the icing. Lift the cookie and allow the excess to drip back into the bowl. Place the cookie face side up on your work surface. While the icing is wet, decorate with sprinkles and press a spice drop in the center. Allow cookies to fully dry.

To assemble your cookie bouquet:

Use Easter grass, shredded paper, a foam floral ball, or tissue paper to keep flowers from moving in the vase. You can use a mason jar, vase, little bucket, etc. to create your cookie flower bouquet. The bouquet can get top heavy, so you may use a heavy vase or add weights to the bottom of your jar. For large bouquets, cut the cookie sticks/wires at varying heights to fill out the bouquet. If you have extra flowers, arrange them on a pretty tray to serve alongside your bouquet.

Cookie bouquets may be covered with a plastic bag to protect them and keep the cookies soft. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container up to a week.

*These cookies are best rolled out thick to keep the flower shape and remain soft, but you can also bake them thin for a crispy cookie. Thin cookies tend to break when you try to poke them with a cookie stick or wire.

**If using wire instead of cookie sticks, bend 2 inches of the wire at a 90° angle, leaving the rest as your flower stem. (Note: I don’t know the gauge of the wires I use as they were handed down to me by my dad. They are sturdy, but with a little effort can be bent by hand.) Poke a spice drop through the wire, then and iced and sprinkled cookie. Finally, use another spice drop poked through the wire to hold the flower in place. Set the stem in a vase or container to hold it upright. Enjoy your beautiful cookie bouquet!