Fragrant Cinnamon Ornaments

The smell of cinnamon is one of the most comforting and pleasant smells there are.  These ornaments are not only easy and affordable but add a touch of rustic elegance to your tree.

Simply mix 3/4 cup of Applesauce to 1 cup of Ground Cinnamon.  You can use your hands but beware they will turn brown.  However, it washes off and smells great.  This makes roughly 10-12 ornaments so double or triple the recipe as you see fit.  I used the paddle attachment on my Kitchen Aid Mixer and it worked great for mixing the dough.

Portion the dough into roughly 4 equal parts and roll between two sheets of plastic wrap.  This helps to prevent sticking and staining of the counter.  The dough should be pliable enough that it does not easily crack, but dry enough that it is not tacky.  If too wet, add more cinnamon.  If too dry, add more applesauce.  Roll to roughly 1/4" - 1/3" thick.  You want it thick enough that the shape will hold and it will be easy to pick up.

Using cookie cutters, cut shapes into the dough.  Larger more simple shapes work the best.  We tried a reindeer and smaller gingerbread man and their arms, necks and antlers were just too thin.  You can also use a simple shape and then use a smaller cutter to cut in the middle of it for a window look.

Carefully peel dough away from the cut shape and using the plastic wrap flip the shapes into your hand.  You can use a drinking straw or skewer to poke hanging holes in the ornaments.  This can be done in your hand or while still on the counter.  Then carefully place them onto a baking sheet.

Next you can air dry them for 2-4 days, flipping every so often.  But I don't have that kind of patience so I dried them out in a 200F oven for 2-2 1/2 hours.  You still may need to flip them if they are not drying out on the bottom but be careful they can become fragile.  I used a metal sheet pan and a Pampered Chef baking stone and noticed that the stone was much more efficient at drying them out, probably due to the natural pores in the stone letting air and heat in from top and bottom.

Your house will smell amazing as these dry out, and for some time after.  Once dry, place on a cooling rack to further dry and cool off.  Once finished choose any ribbon or string of your liking, and tie loops in the ornaments so that you can hang them.

A Christmas tree with some homemade touches is much more special and representative of the season than any store bought ornaments or decorations.  Enjoy this project with your family and friends.   Crank up some holiday music while you are making these and then watch a festive holiday movie as you wait for them to dry.  These can be saved year after year if carefully packaged.  But they are also so easy to make and fun so why not make it a yearly tradition.  And I hope I don't really need to say this but, just in case, these are NOT to eat and will not taste good, no matter how wonderful they smell! ;-)  Happy Holidays!