Cinnamon Ornaments

Ah, Cinnamon Ornaments.

I remember making these as a kid and hanging them on our tree. I always loved unpacking them every Christmas because they still smelled yummy. 

So, here we are, several years later, and I enlisted the help of my cutie pie to make these heavenly smelling decorations. 

Mixing and making a mess.

The recipe said to roll out between plastic wrap. I thought "what the heck, I'll use wax paper." 

Note to self: follow the recipe. 

The dough stuck to the wax paper pretty bad and that caused a rough texture. 

Almost ready to be cooked.

I'm not patient enough to wait for them to dry overnight or for 2 days, but I've heard there is less cracking and better results when left to air dry instead of bake. 

Make sure to poke some holes in the top if you're going to string ribbon through!

Also, remove any excess dough that doesn't belong. See the clump by the snowman's hand? I removed it.

While the ornaments were baking, we dipped pretzels.

Bubs loved eating the pretzels plain!

Then he realized they had chocolate on them.

From that point on he dipped a pretzel, sucked off the chocolate, and put the pretzel on the paper. 

Smart kid.

Finished product!!

So pretty and delicious smelling.

I'm actually really proud of how these turned out! I may make it a yearly tradition. It was really fun and Bubs enjoyed helping press the cookie cutters in the dough. 

The recipe doesn't call for glitter, but I love a little glitz, so I added a tablespoon or so of Martha Stewart glitter. I think it looks fabulous!! Also, some recipes called for glue. I made one batch with some Modge Podge and one without. I couldn't tell the difference except the smell when I was mixing dough.

One last note, the recipe says to roll the dough pretty thick and I wish I would've followed that closer. I rolled mine a little thin and they don't feel as sturdy as I'd like them to. But, for my first time, I'll take it!! These ornaments are really inexpensive too! For about 25-30:

Cinnamon: $0.50 at Walmart (used 4)

Applesauce: $3 at Walmart (used less than half)

Ribbon: $1 at Walmart (needed more than what I bought)

Glitter: $5 a bottle at Michaels (still have tons left, this stuff lasts a long time)

Cookie Cutters: $2.88 for 3 (since I didn't have any)

Cinnamon Ornaments 

adapted from McCormick Recipes

3/4 C. applesauce

1 C. cinnamon, plus extra if the dough is too sticky

1 TBL. glitter

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Mix the cinnamon, applesauce, and glitter in a small bowl. Use your hands to knead the dough into a ball. It should not be too sticky and not crumbly. Place the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap (waxed paper will stick badly and cause a rough texture on top). You may need to sprinkle the plastic and the top of the dough with cinnamon if your dough is too sticky. Roll to about 1/3-1/4 inch thickness. Cut shapes with a cookie cutter. Place shapes on a cookie sheet and poke holes in the top with a drinking straw or dowel if you want to hang with ribbon. Bake for 2 1/2 hours or allow to air dry for 1-2 days.