A cookie gift bouquet makes a great surprise treat for anyone who likes cookies. It can be as simple or intricate as you'd like, depending on your abilities and time. You can even create personalized cookies to make your gift more memorable. A cookie gift bouquet makes a great project with the kids for a special occasion (Father's Day, Birthday, Grandparents gift, etc.).

The first thing you'll need for your bouquet is a mug. It is best to use a standard ceramic mug with a solid base. You can either purchase a new mug for your occasion or use your gift recipient's favorite coffee mug for a special treat. Buy a small piece of floral foam, available at most craft stores, and cut the foam in the shape of cylinder to fit in the mug. It should be snug, but you shouldn't have to force the foam into the mug. Cut the foam to be about an inch shorter than the height of the mug. Place some color-coordinated shred in the mug and stuff it around the cracks of the foam so that it remains in place.

The next step is to bake some cookies for your bouquet. If you are pressed for time or not a great baker, buy some fresh cookies at a local bakery in your recipient's favorite flavors. Depending on the size of the cookies, 3 to 6 will likely be plenty. Wrap each cookie in colored plastic wrap to match your gift theme. Attach wooden bamboo skewers to the back of each cookie using clear tape.

If you have time, and are a little more daring, you can try to make a decorated cookie gift bouquet. For this bouquet, you will use sugar cookie dough. However, you will need to attach the bamboo skewers to the cookie dough before baking the cookies. The cookies should be at least twice as thick as the diameter of the skewer. Once you have made your cookie shapes, carefu

lly insert the skewer from the bottom of your design so the skewer is about one-third of the way into the cookie. Because these cookies need to be thicker, you may have to adjust your cooking time and temperature from what you normally use. Once the cookies are cooled, it is time for cookie decorating. If the kids are helping, this is a great project for them. Use decorative icing to write personal messages on the cookies, or coat with icing and then press candies, sprinkles, etc. into the iced cookies. Bake a few extra cookies and let the kids pick out their favorites when you're done decorating them. It is best not to wrap the decorated cookies in plastic because the icing may be ruined. If you are not assembling your bouquet right away, put the cookies in an airtight container to keep fresh until you are ready.

To finish your bouquet, all you need to do is carefully push the wooden skewers into the floral foam. You may need to trim the skewers to make them the right height. Make each cookie a different height for the best presentation. Attach a small bow to the mug and you're all done. Whatever the occasion, your recipient will love to receive your home made cookie gift bouquet!

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