Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments

I thought I would do a little tutorial with on these Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments.

It has been a while since I have made these. I use to make them with the day care children, which has been a few years ago.  Since my son is 21, I was missing the things we use to do. I guess that would explain the candy theme on the kitchen Christmas Tree and the tablescape.
      So why don't you take this journey with me and if you can find some free time in your busy schedule, make some of these wonderful, smell good ornaments.  They also make nice gift tags on the presents!


Recipe:
1 cup cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. allspice
1 tbsp ginger
3/4 c. applesauce

In medium bowl, combine cinnamon, cloves, allspice,
ginger & nutmeg. Add applesauce, stir to combine.
Work mixture with hands 2 to 3 minutes or until dough
is smooth and ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut dough with cookie cutters.
Using straw or pencil, make small hole in top of ornament.
Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 150 degrees for 1 hour
Remove from the cookie sheet and bake on the oven
racks for another hour and a half.

Use these ornaments to decorate gifts, hang on tree, etc. 

A picture of the ingredients that I used.  I may have used just a tad bit more of the spices than the recipe called for.

I grind my own cloves, all spice, and nutmeg.

 This is what the mixture looks like when you add all of the ingredients together.

Place your dough ball on the counter that has been sprinkled with cinnamon and roll out your dough. You don't want it to be to moist, just a little on the dry side

Don't roll your dough out to think or when the ornaments dry they will be very fragile and break.

Use your favorite cookie cutter and cut out your ornaments.  Make sure you place a hole in your ornament so you can hang it.  You may also make a wire in a U shape and push it in the top of your ornament.

Place your ornaments on a cookie rack or something that they  can sit and dry on. It will take several days before they will be ready to use.

You can also take the left over dough and roll them into balls and place a U wire in the top of them.


While you are making your ornaments, pour yourself and drink, play some Christmas music and enjoy yourself. I choose to have a pot of tea.  It was nice and warm since the night I did these it was ReALLy CoLd outside!

I like my tea with a little cream and sugar! I also just adore the tea cozy my Sister-in-Law made for me. I wonder if I can get her to make a few more to match my tablescapes!


I decorated my ornaments with a royal icing that I made.

Royal Frosting

2 1/2 T. meringue powder or powdered egg white

4 1/2 C. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

3/4 C. water

1/2 tsp. Almond Flavoring

1/2 tsp. Butter Flavoring

Beat the above for about 10 minutes.  ( I have cut the

frosting recipe in half from the original.  This should

still frost 2 batches of the cookies.)

Color as desired.  Place in squeeze bottles or pastry bags to decorate!

Thank you Jacqueline from over at Purple Chocolate Home. Such an easy recipe and tastes and works well with cookies and anything else you would like to decorate!  I added the Almond and Butter Flavoring to the frosting to step it up a notch.

I hope you get a chance to make these and thank you for strolling down memory lane with me!

 

Best Wishes,     Andrea

He's Making a List and Checking It Twice

HE'S MAKING A LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE

Hope everyone has enjoyed their Thanksgiving and getting ready for Christmas.  I don't know about you, but boy...is it sure approaching fast! I have been so busy with work that I am so far behind. Catching up is stressful and I love to take my time and enjoy every moment of decorating! Without further a do, I do have a table in the dining room ready.
Please make sure you stop by Susan's at Between Naps on the Porch and catch up on all of the festivities and demo's and of course the lovely tablescapes!

 Beginning with a tablecloth folded in 3rds. Then took a garland I think I got it from the craft store and laid that down the center of the tablecloth. I then put a 100 strand of mini lights on the garland. I placed my santa in the middle of the table and just started embellishing the garland with ornaments that I painted, candy canes, clove studded clementines, chesnuts, cookie cutters  and applesauce spice ornaments that I made.  Look for a tutorial soon!. I placed 2 sleighs on each side of santa with the reindeer and filled the sleighs with clementines, chocolate covered pretzels, chestnuts, cookies, candy canes, candy, and a bag of coal.


I am sorry that the next two pictures are blurry, they didn't look that way in the camera.

We even got out cars at our place settings! Each place setting I placed a matchbox car to the side. I am sure my Mother-in-law (G'Ma FL) will just love hers.....it's a corvette!

 Some of the picture like the one above was taken before I kept adding things to the table.  I didn't find my santa mugs until today at Wal-Mart to make the arrangement.



Thank you for visiting and will be busy the next week in finishing up my decorating. I hope you enjoy your decorating and can't wait to see them!

Resources

Napkins:  Khols
White Dinner Plates: T J Maxx
Believe Plates: Khols
Santa Mugs: Wal-Mart
Gingerbread Spreaders: Khols
Santa:  Wal-Mart
Sleigh and Reindeers: Michael's
Tablecloth: K-mart  Martha Stewart's Collection
Ornaments: Hand painted by me on Martha Stewart's

If you like, please post a comment! I enjoy reading them!!
Happy Decorating!

{Pssss  Don't forget to stop by Susan's at Between Naps on the Porch for more tablescapes and tutorials!
Also, stop by Purple Chocolate Home for the easy sugar cookie recipe and royal icing recipe for the sugar cookies I did.. Thanks Jacqueline for such a wonderful recipe.  I did add almond flavoring to the cookie recipe and butter and almond flavoring to the icing for a twist!