Patriotic Cookie Bouquets Recipe

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and milk. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, then gradually add to the creamed mixture. Beat in apple pie spice and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate dough for 2 hours or until easy to handle.
2. Roll out dough to a 1/4-in. thickness. With star cookie cutters, cut out shapes. Place only five or six shapes on an ungreased baking sheet. Place a dowel piece on top of each shape so that at least 1-1/2 in. of dowel is on top of shape, leaving the rest of dowel extended for handle. Top each dough shape with a matching shape. Press edges gently to seal. Place remaining shapes on another baking sheet.
3. Bake cookies at 375° for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks, propping up each dowel handle so it remains parallel to the rack.
4. In a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, corn syrup and water until smooth. Place 1/3 cup of glaze in each of three bowls. Tint one portion red and one blue, leaving the remaining one white. Spread blue and red glaze over tops of some of the cookies. For a swirled design on remaining cookies, spread white glaze over the tops of cookies, immediately place three dots of each colored glaze on top of each cookie and swirl with a toothpick. Set cookies aside to dry.
5. Refer to the photo while assembling as directed in the instructions that follow. Using the serrated knife, cut the floral foam to fit snugly inside the container for bouquet base. Insert the floral foam in the container. Cover the top of the foam with paper shred.
6. Insert the dowel handle of each cookie and the stick of each flag into the foam. Serve remaining cookies separately. Yield: about 1-1/2 dozen.