Cinnamon Ornaments Recipe

Christmas isn't complete without adorable handmade cinnamon ornaments. Add in adorable little helpers and some cinnamon and you've got a party!

Christmas Eve Traditions

Growing up, Christmas Eve was one of the most special nights of the year. My family would all go to my grandparents house and my grandma would spoil us all rotten with delicious food and amazing company. It was the evening we all looked forward to all year long.I always knew I wanted to carry on my grandmother's holiday traditions with my own family.I wanted them to see when they were so special to all of us growing up and to be able to start a few of our own. One tradition they love is decorating ornaments on Christmas Eve.As a little girl I always knew it was Christmas Eve by the smell of cinnamon. My grandmother's kitchen would be filled with the smell of cinnamon and she baked our ornaments. I don't know if she knew just how much I loved waiting at the table for them to be done. I loved watching her mix the ingredients together, roll out the dough, and then eagerly wait for them to be done.When they cooled we would all take turns decorating them. Parents sat down with their kids and wrestled over the best ones. When they finished, they would write their names and the year on their ornament, and put it on the tree.You could look at any of our Christmas trees and see dozens of ornaments from over the years. They fill our homes with the smell of cinnamon and remind us of how much fun we had making them.

This year I get to look at my own tree and see it filled with my children's cinnamon ornaments. Every day I go up to the tree and turn the ornaments over to see what year they're from and reminisce over how big my kids are getting. I can't wait to see my tree get filled with them over the years.As the holidays are quickly approaching, it's the perfect time to create your own cinnamon ornaments with your family. Start your own holiday tradition by adding a new cinnamon ornament to your tree every Christmas Eve.

Cinnamon Ornaments Recipe

Ingredients:

1 C Cinnamon1 C ApplesauceString*Optional* Glitter

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees.Combine the cinnamon and applesauce in a small bowl.When your ingredients are completely mixed together, sprinkle cinnamon on a cutting board and roll out your dough. Your dough should be about 1/2 inch thick.Pick out a few of your favorite cookies cutters and cut out your ornaments. Be sure to poke a hole at the top so you can attach string to it later. Lay down a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spread out your ornaments.Cook your ornaments for 2-3 hours until they're hard. Or you can leave then out overnight until they dry completely.Now they're ready for decorating!

What is your favorite holiday tradition?