No Bake Applesauce and Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments

[RweTHEREyet]

I found the recipe/instructions for this in the food section of my newspaper. I was wondering if anyone had made these in the past and if you have any tips. They air dry, but I am wondering if they shrink any while drying. Not sure if the size of the cookie cutter is the size the ornament will end up. They are not edible.

 

[piratesmate]

Yes, they shrink. I'm sorry that I can't tell you how much. I think it was a significant amount.

I made these about 8 - 10 years ago & they still smell really good. I didn't have any measurements & I ended up making WAY too much! It goes a long way. There was no way I could finish up the first day, so I put it in a zip lock bag & put it in the refrigerator. I was still rolling it out a week later. DH was tired of seeing every available surface holding these drying ornaments.

Oh - one other thing - I expected the holes (for the string) to shrink also & I used something large, like knitting needle. I think the hole actually got larger...which made sense after I thought about it.

Just curious - does your recipe call for white glue? Mine didn't, but I've seen one since that did. I wondered if they turned out differently.

Deb

 

[Spinning]

We make them a lot! It is so much fun and the house smells great! They do shrink just a tiny bit and if you roll it too thin say with a Christmas tree cutter, the ends might curl just a tiny bit.
We alway cut straws into one inch pieces and use that to cut the hole and leave the straw in while drying. Oh if you are doing it when the house is damp or humid they will take for ever to dry!
We did it one time in the summer at Church, Christmas in July...I had to take them home and pop them in the oven to dry!
We also put ours on waxed paper to dry.
If any kids or your self has sensitive skin be a little careful, the cinnamon can be a little harsh!
We decorate ours with glitter glue! and hang with a pipe cleaner!

 

[RweTHEREyet]

The recipe I have just used applesauce and cinnamon and said to use a straw for the hole. I was thinking about putting them in my dehydrator, but wondering if that would put lines on the backs, maybe I could like racks with wax paper and that would help. I want them to be totally smooth. I plan to hang with pretty ribbons. Actually giving these to office mates for Christmas.

 

[b&bdiscruisers]

Hey, this sounds like a great thing to try!! How about sharing a recipe!! Thanks!!

 

[MerryPoppins]

My kids made these the year Grandpa was in rehab after his stroke. He was not going to be home over the holidays, but they wanted him to have a tree. So we got one of the wooden dowel "trees" and made these to hang on it. He was thrilled and his room smelled Christmasy. It'd be a great gift for someone in a nursing home, too.

Ours didn't shrink too much and we also used the straw to make the hole (but we didn't leave it in). We didn't decorate them, just left them plain. I still have some of them and they still smell great. I guess that was 6 years ago. My recipe didn't call for glue.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

My recipe calls for

1 Cup canned applesauce
14 ozs ground cinnamon

Mix 3/4 to 1 cup applecause with ground cinnamon to form a stiff douch. Roll out 1/4-inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Make a hole in top of each cookie shape with a straw

Put on a rack to dry. Let air dry several days. Turn occasionally. When dry, put a small piece of ribbon through the hole so the ornament can be hung.


Well, I have mixed the ingredients together, but it is not like a thick dough, almost cannot tell that the applesauce is in there. I am wondering if this recipe called for more cinnamon than it should have.

Anyone?

 

[piratesmate]

Gee, I hope you're not still waiting for an answer! I just got back from a craft store run. Those amounts sound pretty good to me. I remember thinking that it was almost a pound of cinnamon & how expensive they were turning out to be!

You should be able to make a ball with the "dough". If it crumbles it's too dry. You should be able to roll it out & use cookie cutters w/o making the whole thing fall apart. If it's not working, try adding a tiny bit more applesauce. Just remember, that even a little applesauce goes a long way!

I hope it turns out for you! Let us know.

Deb

 

[Beanie]

These sound great and fun to make! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Well, as it turns out, I did a search on the internet and I found all kinds of proportions, but I think the recipe I got out of my local newspaper should have said

1 4 oz container of cinnamon INSTEAD OF
14 ounces ground cinnamon

I ended up taking another cup of applesauce and additing until the consistency was workable. With the correct proportions, they are not expensive, as a large 18 ounce container of cinnamon at BJ's was less than $4.00, and 4 ounces makes one batch, or around 12 ornaments, depending on size of cookie cutter.

I am going to start over with this process. I don't like what I ended up with yesterday, but it was all trial and error. After putting the ornaments in the dehydrator, I have a better idea of how they turn out.

 

[MerryPoppins]

I didn't realize there were so many recipes out there. I used one that just called for cinnamon and applesauce, but I can't seem to find my recipe. I did a search and came up with these variations. I bet the one with cloves and nutmeg smells really good. Hope this helps those of you who are considering going into production.

CINNAMON ORNAMENTS
2 cups applesauce
1 cup cinnamon
Place applesauce in a bowl. Using an electric mixer on low speed, gradually beat in 1 cup of cinnamon. Mix until a pasty dough forms. Spoon the mixture into tart or candy molds. Make a hole in each ornament with a straw or wooden pick. Let dry for 24 hours.
Remove from molds. String ribbon through the holes.

CINNAMON-APPLESAUCE ORNAMENTS
3/4 C. applesauce
1 C. ground cinnamon
1 T. tacky glue
1 T. orris root (fixative)
Straw (for making holes, if desired)
Mix applesauce and cinnamon well. Add tacky glue and orris root. When mixture is well blended, roll out on a cinnamon dusted countertop and cut out desired shapes. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour at 150ºF.

SPICE ORNAMENTS OR MAGNETS
3/4 cup ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 cup applesauce
1 straw
1/8-inch or 1/4-inch satin ribbon
Combine spices and applesauce and mix until well blended. Mixture should be stiff. Roll out to a 1/4-inch thickness on wax paper. Using small or medium-size cookie cutters, cut dough into desired shapes. Peel away excess dough and re-roll as necessary. If making ornaments, poke a hole at top of ornament with the straw. Let ornaments dry uncovered for 2 or 3 days, turning them over several times during the drying period.
After ornaments have dried, tie ribbon on top and place in sealed plastic bag until ready to use. You can also decorate the ornaments with lace, glitter or craft paints.
If using as magnets, attach a stick-on magnet to the back.

CINNAMON CLAY
1 1/2 C. ground cinnamon
1 C. applesauce
1/3 C. white school glue (such as Elmer's)
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Remove from bowl and knead until the mixture becomes a firm clay. Let sit for about half an hour. Using wax paper as a working surface and dusting surface with cinnamon if necessary, roll out clay with a rolling pin to approximately 1/8 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut desired shapes. Punch a hole with a drinking straw near the top if you are going to hang as ornaments. Or, form into 3-D sculptures, baskets, etc. Place finished creations on wax paper to dry, turning occasionally so that they dry evenly. It will take about five days for them to dry completely.