Edible escort cards. Brilliant.

To create these these escort cards, follow our recipe for sugar cookie dough. Form the cookies with a tag-shaped cutter, then use a plastic straw to punch a hole in the pointed end of each treat before baking.

Photo:  Country Living.

Raspberry Linzer cookies are some of the prettiest cookies around. Every year around the holidays I see them in magazines and online and I always tell myself I’m going to give them a try.

Well, this year I finally got around it. I found a well-reviewed recipe over at Allrecipes.com and I gave it whirl. The result? A new holiday tradition! I can see myself making at least one more batch pre-Christmas.

Raspberry Linzer cookies do require some time and effort – but they are so worth it! (I only wish I had some of my organic homemade raspberry jam left to fill them with.)

They would make superb wedding favors! They’d also be a lovely addition to your cookie table.

Here is the recipe and tutorial for Raspberry Linzer cookies:

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter.

Gradually add 2/3 cup white sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

Add egg yolks, one at a time (keep the egg whites for later), beating well after each addition. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape dough into a ball; cover and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes or until firm.

On a surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar, roll half of the dough to 1/8-in. thickness (I made some of my 1/4 in for extra thick cookies). Note: When the dough first comes out of the fridge it might seem a bit hard and crumbly when you roll it. Don’t freak out like I did!!! It will become less crumbly as you work with it.

Cut with a cookie cutter of your choice.

Repeat with remaining dough, then place hole in center of each piece. (I used a vintage butter pat maker.)

Beat egg whites until frothy.

Brush each cookie (even the ones with the holes) with egg white.

Combine almonds and remaining sugar. Sprinkle all cookies with the almond mixture.

Place on greased baking sheets (I put mine on Silpat). Bake at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Spread raspberry preserves over the middle of the plain side of solid cookies. Don’t go all the way to the edges or the jam will ooze out the sides. (This happened to me on the first few, but I gladly devoured the evidence.)

Sprinkle icing sugar on cookies with centers cut out. I used a sifter.

Place cookies with centers cut out, almond side up, on top of the preserves, making a sandwich.

Enjoy your gorgeous Raspberry Linzer cookies! (Don’t forget to save some for the holidays!)

Cookies in a jar make awesome wedding favors. Not only are they adorable and affordable – they’re an easy DIY project. Lizzie over at Love Your Way designed cute recipe labels that you can download for free.

These Cranberry Hootycreeks cookies in a jar are really delicious. In fact, this was all that was left the next day when I went to take a photo of them for this tutorial. Three measly cookies!!!

Here’s what you need:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup + two tablespoons flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (you can also use pecans)

I used a one-litre jar. There was some space left at the top of the jar. If you are making these for a wedding and you will be transporting them, make sure you pack down each of the ingredients and place the jars in a box that won’t allow the jars to move around too much. You might want to consider using a jar that is a bit smaller so the contents go right to the top.

Place canning funnel inside of jar mouth.

Add 1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons flour.

Tamp with a potato masher or the bottom of a jar.

Add 1/2 cup rolled oats.

Tamp rolled oats.

Mix 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Carefully pour the flour mixture into the jar.

Tamp flour mixture.

Add packed brown sugar. We removed the funnel for this.

We built the edges up a bit on the sugar so it would look nicer in the jar.

Pour in the white sugar. Once again we built up the edges.

Add dried cranberries to the cookies in a jar.

Add white chocolate chips.

Add chopped nuts to the jar.

Close lid on your marvelous creation.

Print out your free Cranberry Hootycreeks cookies in a jar label.

Adhere label to jar. Add ribbon. Fini!

If you want to make your own labels or tags, simply cut and paste these instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. 2. In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until fluffy. Add the entire jar of ingredients, and mix together by hand until well blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. 3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges start to brown. Cool on baking sheets, or remove to cool on wire racks.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

So there you are walking along the sidewalk when suddenly something sparkly catches your eye.

It’s a diamond ring. The diamond is huge and it’s worth more than a delivery driver makes in two years.

Would you keep it? Or would you try to track down the owner?

I might be a bit cynical, but I think most people would keep the ring. Not Nicole Beaudoin.

Nicole, who lives in my hometown of Windsor, Ontario, tracked down the owner, and my local newspaper, The Windsor Star, wrote a story about her. (It’s a feel good story that’s worth reading.)

“You can’t keep something like that. It wouldn’t matter if it was a $10 Wal-Mart special. It still means something,” she said.

That’s the thing about wedding rings. The monetary value is far from the only thing that makes them special. There is so much sentimental attachment to them.

Choosing a diamond ring is a big deal. There are so many diamond styles, sizes and cuts available. How do you know what’s best for you?

Head on over to Abazias.com and check out the handy Engagement Ring Builder. You can choose everything from the diamond size and shape to the ring setting.

And if you want to buy online, Abazias.com has heaps of conflict-free diamonds for sale. The company uses The Kimberly Process to ensure that all of their diamonds come from conflict-free zones.

Sponsored Post.

I had a small wedding, then I wrote the book Intimate Weddings. My husband and I started this website in 2008. We’ll be celebrating ten years of marriage this year. Want the full story? Read this.

Writing and art are my passions. I also love photography and sea glass.

I believe in kindness.  I cheer for the underdog. I march to my own beat.

When it comes to weddings, I love creativity, resourcefulness and authenticity. And I happen to think small weddings rock.