I found this when I was gathering recipes and thought I’d share it! This would be a great way to put runes and other things on your tree!
Cinnamon Ornaments
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Makes: 6 ornaments
Ingredients:
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⅔ cup ground cinnamon divided (plus 1-2 additional Tablespoons, optional)
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2 tbsp ground allspice
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½ cup cinnamon applesauce
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Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together ⅔ cup cinnamon and the allspice until combined.
Add in the applesauce and stir together to get a semi-firm dough. If the dough seems wet, add in 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon and stir together.
Test the dough by pinching it between your fingers. You should have a sugar cookie dough consistency that holds together but isn’t wet. Add the last Tablespoon of cinnamon if needed.
Use your hands to knead together the dough and be sure it holds together in a ball. If it is too crumbly you can sprinkle on a few drops of water but you do not want a wet dough.
Cut out two large squares or rectangles of parchment paper and place one on the counter. Place your cinnamon dough ball on top.
Place the second piece of parchment paper on top of your dough and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about ¼-½ inches thick. You want it to be thicker than most cookie dough so that it can be transferred without breaking but the thicker it is, the longer it will take to bake.
Use a cookie cutter to cut out Christmas shapes from your dough. Use a spatula to gently transfer the shapes onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Use a drinking straw to cut out a hole from the shape, being sure to keep the hole far away from the edges.
Bake for 3-4 hours or until the ornaments have hardened in the middle. You should be able to tap them in the center and not feel them give. For a more uniform color, you can flip them halfway through baking but be very gentle.
Once fully baked, remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the cookie sheet.
String with Christmas ribbon and decorate, if desired.
<Notes:
Wrap your ornaments in tissue paper or a cloth and store them in a cool, dry place. See details below.
Use your hands to mix up the dough. I tried all sorts of spoons and whisks but the best way I found of getting an even, consistent dough was to use my hands! It also helped me feel if the dough was too wet and was easier to mix with my hands.
Don’t be afraid to add more cinnamon! If you’ve mixed up your dough and you feel like it is too wet, don’t be afraid to add another Tablespoon of cinnamon. I struggled more with wet dough than I did with crumbly dough.
If the dough is crumbly, it is easy to sprinkle some water or apple sauce on it to get it to stick together. If it is too wet it will just fall apart and be impossible to transfer.
Roll out a thick dough. With this particular dough, a thick layer is much easier to work with than a thin one. I found that thin ornaments were more prone to breaking, even before I got them in the oven, and they were much more difficult to transfer or fix. Make your life easy and keep the dough thick and solid.
Be careful where you poke your hole. For shapes such as snowflakes, I found that a hole in the middle of the ornament worked much better than one at the edge.
The shapes that are more detailed are also more likely to break so put those holes far away from the edges. Simple shapes, such as stockings or round ornaments, are much less prone to breaking and the hole can go closer to the edges.
Safety Concerns:
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Although the ingredients are non-toxic, it’s advisable to keep the ornaments out of reach of small children and pets. If ingested, they could pose a choking hazard or cause stomach discomfort due to the high spice content.
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Clearly label the ornaments as non-edible if gifting, to avoid confusion.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do Cinnamon Ornaments go bad?
Cinnamon ornaments do not rot, mold, or go bad. They will last for years and years!
How do I store these Cinnamon Ornaments?
Once these cinnamon ornaments are fully baked and cooled, there isn’t really anything special you need to do to store them! They are fragile so if you choose to pack them up for next year, simply wrap them in packing paper or cloth and store them that way. Avoid getting them wet but if they do get splashed with water, you can leave them on a baking sheet for a couple of days to air dry and they should be fine.
Can my kids help with this recipe?
This is a fantastic recipe to make with kids! The dough is safe to eat (though it doesn’t taste particularly good) and non-toxic and if something gets messed up, you can just throw it back into the pile of dough and start over! Kids will love using their hands to help mix up the dough, use the cookie cutters to cut out shapes, and decorate the ornaments afterward with glue and glitter. You can keep it as simple as you like or make it as ornate and complicated as you want!
Do I need to bake these Cinnamon Ornaments in the oven?
No, you do not have to bake these ornaments; you can let them air dry instead. Make sure to place them on a cookie drying rack so the bottoms get exposed to air. Allow them to air dry for 2-3 days until fully dry before decorating. If you would like to bake them to speed up the drying process, bake them at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-4 hours.
How can I preserve and refresh the scent of cinnamon ornaments?
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To preserve the scent, store the ornaments in an airtight container with a piece of fabric or paper towel sprinkled with a few drops of cinnamon oil.
Avoid storing them in areas with high humidity or direct sunlight, as this can fade the colors and weaken the scent.
Refreshing the scent annually with a light brush of cinnamon oil can help maintain their aroma over the years.
How to Make the Best Cinnamon Ornaments:
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Please note cinnamon doesn’t act the same way as flour. It doesn’t technically absorb liquid as flour does, so if too much liquid is added to the cinnamon, it just slides together in clumps instead of expanding.
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Please see the directions/FAQs that any extra liquid should be added slowly. A little bit goes a long way!
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If you have made a flour-based ornament in the past, it is going to be a different experience than to make than a cinnamon ornament.
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Also, cinnamon can dry out. So if you make a double or triple batch, you may need to add more liquid because it will dry out more quickly.
Substitutions and Additions:
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Awesome Aroma: For an extra boost of holiday aroma, you can mix ground cloves, nutmeg, and/or pumpkin pie spice with the ground cinnamon. However, it’s important to maintain a balance so the dough’s consistency isn’t affected.
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Add Some Sparkle: Glitter is a great way to dress up your ornaments. You can use glitter glue or spray adhesive to keep the glitter in place. Use a paintbrush for precision. This will allow for detailed designs like outlining or fill in specific areas.
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Puff Them Out: Puffy paint can be used to create 3D effects. Practice on parchment paper first to get a feel for the flow and pressure needed.
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Cookie Cutters: You can use any cookie cutters to create your homemade ornaments. Some ideas include stars, candy canes, Christmas trees, snowflakes, hearts, or your other favorite shapes.
Ornaments courtesy of Princess Pinky Girl.com
