French Macaron Wedding Favors

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of creating wedding favors for Erin and Joe's beach wedding on the Jersey Shore. Erin had contacted me a little while ago with the idea of French macarons in mind, and together we came up with the flavors, design and packaging for these trendy little treats. Her wedding colors were pink and ivory which we definitely wanted to incorporate in the favors. She and Joe chose red velvet and milk chocolate almond as flavors after taste testing a few samples I sent their way.

Very up and coming in the American food scene today, French macarons are small sandwich cookies made from almond flour and egg whites. They can be colored, flavored, and decorated in just about any way that you can imagine, which only adds to their appeal. What's more...they're gluten free without even trying (although I should mention, they were made in a kitchen with other non-gluten free items).

The pink macaron was cocoa flavored and filled with cream cheese filling. The ivory was a regular almond macaron filled with milk chocolate ganache. The flavors went together really well, and as much as I love cream cheese in just about anything, I thought the chocolate one Erin chose stole the show. Erin provided me with the adorable tags attached to the bags and I packaged them all up ready to go. I loved how the final product came together, and I thought it especially went well with their beach theme. Sitting all together in the bags, the macarons resembled sand dollars, and I hope they were an excellent addition to their big day! 

 Congratulations Erin and Joe, and also all of their wedding guests who got to go home with one of these!

Dog Treat Wedding Favors

This week I've been recipe testing for a different kind of wedding favor - one that appeals to a dog loving couple's furry friends. We found a hit with some homemade banana peanut butter dog bones. They are suitable for most breeds of dogs and made with very few ingredients to be easy on their canine stomachs. Best of all they can be packaged up in any way and set out with a cute sign for your guests to take home to their pets at the end of the night.

I opted for a thinner, drier biscuit so they would be easier to break up for smaller dogs (like my Scotties) but the size and shape can be adjusted to fit the needs of any pup.

 Someone kept a very watchful eye over the baking process once the peanut butter made an appearance...

I'd say the overall feedback was pretty positive.

Check out some other options for wedding favors here: 

Mason Jar Cupcakes, Cake Truffles 

Mason Jar Cupcakes

Everything tastes better when eaten out of a jar, right? It's definitely true, I think, when it comes to cupcakes. No messy wrapper? Check. No frosting caught in the corners of your mouth? Check. All the deliciousness and presentation of a cupcake but given to you in a neat little mason jar.

 In this mason jar is my pumpkin spice cupcake made with fresh pumpkin puree, topped with maple cream cheese frosting and a roasted pumpkin seed brittle. They would be a great addition to any Halloween or holiday party as a favor for guests on the way out of the door, or an innovative way to serve dessert that guests can eat mess-free while standing.

I can dress up the jars however you'd like with fabric, burlap, colorful paper or ribbon. They can even be customized with a logo, sticker or monogram and date. A spoon attached to the side with twine would make for an even more convenient way to enjoy.

I love this idea as a wedding favor too. If you decide to forgo the traditional wedding cake, but want something sweet for your guests to take home, these little jars are it. If you want a mini dessert display in lieu of a traditional tiered cake, again, these are for you. They can be layered with any combination of frosting, filling and cake in any size jar. Easily transported and refrigerated, these babies are sure to impress anyone. Not to mention the guests get to keep the jar as a souvenir.

Grab a spoon and dig in! Get your pumpkin fix in other posts from this season here and here.