the cookie project
December 13, 2008
I haven’t totally committed to this yet, but one of my crazy projects might be favors. I’ve changed my mind a few times already, so I know better than to say for sure. That’s the thing about a long engagement – lots of time to get good and crazy.
I always like edible favors, and I suspect that the leftovers always go to good use. At first I thought I’d order boxed truffles, slap some ribbon on there and call it a day. Then I read some bride blogs. Let me tell you, you ladies are not helpful. Well, you ARE. But helpful in the I-could-so-do-that way, not the simplify-my-wedding way. I don’t know how else I can explain my fervent desire to bake cookies for our favors.
This could be kind of a trick, since I want to bake them myself. Just me. No help. The recipe I have in mind came from my grandma Julia, who passed away when I was seven. (Yes, both our names are Julia. For reals.) It’s a chewy ginger molasses cookie, and everyone who’s tried it has ended up being my friend. I’m not going to post the recipe, but if you want it e-mail me at eventualwedding at gmail dot com. See, then we can be friends.
Anyway, the thing about baking cookies – even for a smallish wedding – is the quantity. We need probably 3-400 cookies, and I want not to be stressed the week of the wedding any more than necessary. So a little while ago I did a stability study to find out how long can I freeze the baked cookies before they change in taste? I made a big batch of cookies and froze them by the half dozen, to be sampled every week for a while. The answer, sadly, is that I can’t freeze them without a discernable freezer taste. But I can freeze the dough, so it’s not off the table just yet.
I’ve thought about doing cookie favors, but my girlfriends have all said I would go crazy if I did it. I still love the idea, though! I love that you would use a family recipe. It makes it that much more special.
We are doing homemade cookies, but I will have lots of help! Cooking them Thursday, assembling them friday, giving them on saturday
I have the same name as my grandma, too. Well, it was her first name and my middle name, but I still think it’s special. A pretty name… Grace. Though, I don’t know if she made any killer cookies.