Cinnamon Ornaments Perfected

A lovely part of a handmade Christmas. These cinnamon ornaments can be hung on a tree, strung into garland, or used as gift embellishments.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup applesauce
• 3/4 cup cinnamon
• 1/4 cup nutmeg *
• 1/4 cup ground cloves *

* The nutmeg and cloves are optional, but add to the scent. Nutmeg is quite a bit more expensive than cinnamon and cloves. If you omit either, simply increase the cinnamon by the same amount.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 200°F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl with a spoon. Using a blender will create a big puff of spice! The ingredients stir up quickly and easily by hand.
4. The mixture shouldn’t be sticky but it should be moist enough that it doesn’t crack when you roll it out. Add more cinnamon or applesauce as necessary to get the right consistency.
5. Sprinkle a clean surface with cinnamon, as you would with flour to roll out pie dough. Firmly form dough into a tennis ball size ball. Pat down onto cinnamon dusted surface and roll with rolling pin to 1/4-inch thick.  Do not roll too thin as this will make them more fragile.
6. Using a skewer or straw poke a hole into each ornament, leaving 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of dough around the hole. You will thread a string of ribbon through this hole when they are finished baking. If you are making a garland, poke two holes in the upper half of the ornament so they hang nicely.
7. Place on cookie sheet so they are not touching.
8. Bake for about 2-4 hours, or until they are hard. If they cook too long, they will start to curl.
9. Cool on a wire rack.
10. Loop a ribbon or string through the ornament and use as desired. The hole I made with the skewer was only big enough to thread embroidery thread through. I drilled larger holes with the drill press so I could put ribbon through.  That sounds a little hard core, I know, but it was a quick solution! Next time I make these I will use a straw for the holes.

• These ornaments can last for several years.
• Store in an airtight container lined with paper towel.
• DO NOT EAT!  Although these ornaments are made from edible ingredients, they are not intended for human consumption.

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