Cornucopia Recipes

EASY SUGAR CONE CORNUCOPIAS

Steps:

• Wrap 1 sugar cone in a paper towel and place in microwave. Microwave on high for 15 seconds, or until the sugar cone is soft and pliable. Working quickly and carefully, shape the end of the cone upwards into a cornucopia shape and hold it there until the cone re-hardens, about 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat this process with each cone.
• Place white chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until chocolate is melted, stirring often. Place the candied ginger in a small wide bowl. Take one of the shaped cones and dip the top of the cone into the melted chocolate, and then into the candied ginger. Set cones on a wire rack to allow the chocolate to set.
• Fill each cone with grapes. Place the cones on a serving platter and sprinkle any extra grapes around the cones.

BAKED CORNUCOPIA

Steps:

CORNUCOPIA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray a 17x14 inch (or lager) cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
• Tear off a 30x18 inch sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Fold it in half to 18x15 inch. Roll diagonally to form a hollow cone, about 18 inches long with a diameter of 5 inches at the widest end (Cornucopia opening). Fasten end with clear tape. Stuff cone with crumpled regular foil until form is rigid. Bend tail of cone up then down at end. Spray outside of cone with non-stick cooking spray. Place on cookie sheet.
• Beat the egg with the water to make a glaze. Open and unroll the first can of breadstick dough on work surface. Separate breadsticks. Begin by wrapping one breadstick around tip of cone. Brush end of next breadstick with Glaze and press to attach to end of first breadstick. Continue spiral-wrapping cone, slightly overlapping dough until there are 3 breadsticks left.
• Pinch one end of the 3 breadsticks together, then braid. Brush bread around opening of cornucopia with glaze. Gently press on braid. Brush entire cornucopia with glaze.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes or until bread is a rich brown. (If parts start to darken too much, cover them with pieces of foil.)
• Remove from oven and let cool completely on cookie sheet on a wire rack. Carefully remove foil when cool. (If freezing, leave foil in bread for support. Remove when thawed.)

CHOCOLATE CORNUCOPIA

Steps:

• Make the chocolate fruits: Use a ladle to fill a fruit mold with white chocolate. When it is full, empty it into the bowl of chocolate. The inside of the mold should be evenly coated with chocolate. Wipe the edge of the mold clean on the side of the bowl and place it upside down on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Once the chocolate starts to harden, about 5 minutes, scrape the edge clean with a paring knife. Repeat to make as many fruits as you will need for your centerpiece. For my centerpiece, I used lemons, pears, oranges, bananas, pineapples and apples. When the chocolate has set, remove the fruits from the molds.
• Make the leaves: Use a pastry brush dipped in white chocolate to coat one side of the plastic leaf. Allow the chocolate to set and then peel off the plastic leaf. Repeat to make as many leaves as you would like. Use the same technique to make smaller leaves for the pineapple stem.
• Assemble the pineapple stem. I used a plastic dome mold to give my pineapple stem its final shape. You could also use a small glass bowl. Place a small dollop of white chocolate in the bottom of the mold. Add leaves resting the ends in the chocolate and the tops along the side of the bowl. Add another layer. Continue this process to make as big of a stem as you like. When the chocolate has set, pop the stem out of the mold.
• Paint the fruit and the leaves: If you use an airbrush, simply place a few drops of color in the receptacle of the airbrush and decorate as you are inspired. Use an airbrush to paint the pineapple stem and the leaves green. Use tempered chocolate to adhere the stem to the top of the pineapple. Paint each of the fruit, as you are inspired to do so.
• Make a base: Place metal rulers on a parchment paper lined surface so they form an open space that measures about 24½ by 16 inches. If you don¿t have metal rulers, you could also use modeling clay or wood rulers. Place a very large cake ring or a round of aluminum flashing that is 13½ inches in diameter inside the space. Pour tempered dark chocolate inside the ring and open space to form a 1/2-inch-thick layer. When the chocolate has set, remove the ring and the rulers and peel off the parchment paper. The ring is inside but separate from the rest of the base so you can move the finished cornucopia to any position.
• Make the base supports: Place metal rulers on a parchment paper lined surface so they form an open square that measures about 8 inches. Pour tempered chocolate inside the space to form a 1/2-inch-thick layer. When the chocolate begins to set but is not yet hard, use a knife to cut a line that resembles 3 half circles end to end. The curves in this piece match the curves in the mold of the cornucopia. When we are ready to set the cornucopia in place, it will rest on these triangles. When the chocolate has set, remove the rulers and peel off the parchment paper.
• Make the chocolate cornucopia: The mold I used was about 12 inches wide and 30 inches long. Use a ladle to pour some chocolate into 1 half of the mold. Use a pastry brush to distribute the chocolate over the entire mold. You may want to repeat this step so the finished piece is about 3/8-inch thick. Repeat with the other half of the mold. Clip the 2 halves of the mold together. Place the mold inside a box and pour chocolate inside of it. Rotate the mold so the chocolate evenly coats the inside. Pour the excess chocolate back into the mold and place the mold upside down on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. When the chocolate is set, remove the mold.
• Stand the cornucopia on its open end. Use tempered chocolate to adhere the triangular base pieces to the cornucopia. Position them so they will support the cornucopia when it is standing in its final position.
• Prepare the paint sprayer: Place equal amounts of dark chocolate and cocoa butter over a double boiler and melt until smooth with no lumps. Place the cornucopia in the freezer for about 20 minutes. The surface of the chocolate must be chilled so the chocolate coating will harden upon contact, giving it the desired texture.
• Remove the cornucopia from the freezer and place on a flat surface. Place the chocolate mixture in a clean paint sprayer and use it to spray the dessert with the chocolate. Tip: Cleanup will be easier if you use a cardboard box as a backdrop to the mold when you spray it. Spray the chocolate with the sprayer to give it a chocolate velvet texture.
• Fill the fruits: Use a piping bag or offset spatula or spoon to fill each fruit mold with the appropriate sorbet flavor. Fill completely and place into the molded chocolate fruit back in the freezer until ready to use. You can also use tempered chocolate to close some of the fruit molds Tip: This process can be done 1 to 2 days in advance.
• Assembly: Tip: Anything that touches the cornucopia after it has been sprayed will leave a mark. If you have to move it, place your hand well inside the mold and move it by touching only the inside. Transfer the sprayed cornucopia onto the circle of the base. You can touch the base to rotate the presentation into any position.
• Arrange the frozen chocolate fruits and leaves within the cornucopia.
• SOURCES
• Cornucopia mold: Tomric Plastics
• Fruit molds: Tomric Plastics
• Plastic fruit: Industrial Plastics
• Plastic leaves: floral supply store
• R

PASTRY CORNUCOPIA

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt thoroughly in large bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives. Beat 2 eggs and 1/3 cup cold water; add to flour mixture. Mix with fork until flour is moistened (1 to 2 tablespoons water can be added if necessary). Gather pastry into a ball; divide into fourths. Keep pastry wrapped until ready to use.
• To make mold for cornucopia, loosely crumple squares of aluminum foil into balls. Stack balls in center of 20-inch sheet of foil; bring ends up, wrapping tightly. Press into shape of cornucopia, about 10 inches long and 5 inches high at opening. Spray mold generously with cooking spray.
• To make base of cornucopia, roll one-fourth of pastry on floured cloth-covered surface with floured rolling pin into triangle shape about 1 inch larger than base of foil mold. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheet. Place foil mold on pastry base.
• To make cornucopia, roll one-fourth of pastry into an oval, about 15x10 inches. Cut pastry oval lengthwise into 1-inch strips, using scalloped pastry cutter. Mix 1 egg and 2 teaspoons cold water. Brush 1 short strip with egg mixture; place strip, egg mixture side out, around tip of mold, forming a point. Starting with shorter strips, brush one at a time with egg mixture and carefully drape over mold, egg mixture side out, overlapping preceding strip 1/4 inch and allowing excess pastry to lie on base. Roll and cut additional one-fourth of pastry into oval, 15x10 inches. Using longer strips, continue until mold is completely covered (do not trim any excess pastry at this point). Do not cover opening with pastry. Be sure all strips are pressed securely onto preceding strips and that there are no gaps.
• Divide remaining one-fourth pastry into 3 parts. Divide 1 part in half; roll 1 half into rope, about 24 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Flatten rope with rolling pin to about 1/2-inch-wide strip. Cut strip lengthwise in half, using sharp knife. Twist halves together gently and loosely into braid. Brush outer edge of opening of cornucopia with egg mixture. Place braid around opening; pinch ends to secure. Brush braid with egg mixture. Make additional braid with remaining half of 1 part dough. Brush egg mixture around base of cornucopia over the overhanging strips. Place braid around base, pinching ends to secure. Trim any excess pastry showing under braid; discard trimmings. Brush braid with egg mixture.
• To decorate cornucopia, shape 1 part of remaining pastry into vines and grapes; roll and cut remaining 1 part pastry into leaves. Attach to cornucopia, using egg mixture. Brush entire cornucopia with egg mixture. Cornucopia can be covered and refrigerated at this point up to 24 hours, or wrapped carefully and tightly and frozen up to 1 month.
• Heat oven to 425°F. Bake about 10 minutes or until set; remove from oven. Brush with milk; sprinkle generously with sugar. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until golden brown. (If necessary, cover tip and front edge with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.) Cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes; loosen with large metal spatula and carefully slide onto wire rack. Cool at least 40 minutes. Carefully remove foil from cornucopia. Cover loosely and store in cool, dry place (do not refrigerate).

CORNUCOPIA SALAD

Steps:

• In a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stir almonds and sugar until sugar is melted and almonds are coated. Cool on waxed paper. Break apart and set aside. , In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, romaine, celery, onions and cranberries. Add oranges and apple., In a small bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, vinegar, parsley, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle with almonds and blue cheese if desired.

CHOCOLATE CORNUCOPIA

Steps:

• To make tempered chocolate, chop the chocolate into pieces and place 3/4 of it in a small glass bowl in a microwave for 20 seconds exactly. Stir the chocolate and continue to microwave for 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate is smooth and shiny. Add the remaining 1/4 of the chocolate and stir until smooth. The chocolate should register 87 to 89 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
• Secure the mold halves together with the bulldog clips.
• Place the tempered chocolate in a measuring cup and pour half of it into the mold. Swirl the chocolate around to make sure all areas are covered and no air bubbles are visible. Pour any excess chocolate back into the measuring cup. Place the mold in the refrigerator, right side up, standing on the bull dog clips as feet, and allow to harden for one minute.
• Repeat and process, and pour the rest of the tempered chocolate back in the mold and swirl it around to coat into an even layer, pouring any excess chocolate back into the measuring cup. Place the mold back in the refrigerator, right side up, until it hardens and looks opaque, about 10 minutes. (Do not leave the mold in the refrigerator longer than 10 minutes or the chocolate will crack.)
• Meanwhile, fill 3 acorn and/or leaf molds with the extra chocolate, smoothing the top with a palette knife. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes to harden.
• Unmold the cornucopia. Using the remaining chocolate (which by now will be thickened) "glue" the acorn and/or leaf molds to the edge of the cornucopia and allow to set for a few minutes. Fill the cornucopia with truffles, chocolate dipped cashews or chocolate dipped fruits.

FRUIT CORNUCOPIA

Steps:

• Mix flour, sugar and salt together. Using an electric mixer and paddle, add all the butter and mix on lowest speed until mixture resembles cornmeal.
• Add water in a continuous stream and blend only until the mixture forms a mass. Divide dough into two portions, and wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
• When the dough is chilled, roll each portion into a 12-inch by 14-inch rectangle, about one-quarter-inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap, separating each layer with a sheet of plastic wrap or waxed paper.
• Form a cornucopia shape using aluminum foil: Start with a piece 12 inches by 22 inches and make a cone shape 12 inches long and six inches wide at the open end. Then cut four or five pieces of 24-inch by 12-inch foil. Stuff each piece into the cone-shaped mold until it is solidly filled.
• Place one layer of the pastry on a floured board and cut into 24 to 28 three-eighth-to one-half-inch strips, 14 inches long. Place 22 of the strips on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet.
• Using the remaining strips, begin to weave each strip into the strips on the table, creating a tight lattice and leaving no space between the strips. (Eighteen strips by 22 strips makes a 12-inch-by-14-inch woven square.) Chill the woven square until firm, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Cut the remaining layer of pastry into 24 to 28 strips, three eighths-inch wide.
• Prepare an egg wash with the eggs and heavy cream, and set aside.
• Place aluminum-foil cornucopia diagonally across the woven square, with the open end pointing toward the bottom left hand corner of the woven pastry square and the tip of the cone pointing toward the upper right corner.
• Fold the top left corner of the woven pastry square over the aluminum cone and toward the bottom right corner.Continue to roll toward the bottom right corner, tucking in the ends of the pastry as you go.
• Let the covered foil cone rest on the edge of the pastry sealing it, it should be completely covered.Tuck any loose ends at the tip end of the cornucopia underneath it. Moisten fingers with water to help seal the ends into the woven body.To finish the open end, fold the loose ends back on top of the cornucopia and crimp the edge. Chill until firm, one-half hour or more.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Use a narrow brush to paint the egg and cream glaze on the cornucopia. Bake till golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Let the cornucopia stand until completely cool. Pull out each piece of aluminum foil from inside the foil mold. When the mold is empty, pull the foil mold away from the pastry and gently collapse the mold inside the cornucopia. Slowly work it out of the pastry.
• To serve, fill with summer fruit - red raspberries, yellow raspberries, strawberries, blueberries.

THANKSGIVING CORNUCOPIA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lightly spray a cookie sheet, at least 17"x 14", with non-stick cooking spray.
• Tear off a 30"x 18" sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil.
• Fold in 1/2 to 18"x 15".
• Roll diagonally to form a hollow cone, about 18" long with a diameter of 5" at the widest end (Cornucopia opening).
• Fasten end with clear tape.
• Stuff cone with crumpled regular foil until form is rigid.
• Bend tail of cone up then down at end.
• Spray outside of cone with non-stick cooking spray.
• Place on cookie sheet.
• Open and unroll first can of breadstick dough on work surface.
• Seperate breadsticks.
• Begin by wraping one breadstick around tip of cone.
• Brush end of next breadstick with Glaze and press to attach to end of first breadstick.
• Continue spiral-wrapping cone, slightly overlapping dough until there are 3 breadsticks left.
• Pinch one end of the 3 breadsticks together, then braid.
• Brush bread around opening of Cornucopia with Glaze.
• Gently press on braid.
• Brush entire Cornucopia with Glaze.
• Bake 45 minutes in preheated oven or until bread is a rich brown.
• (If parts start to darken too much, cover them with poeces of foil.) Remove from oven and let cool completely on cookie sheet on a wire rack.
• Carefully remove foil when cool.
• (If freezing, leave foil in bread for support. Remove when thawed.) Fill Cornucopia with the assorted raw vegetables directly on table and let them spill out of opening NOTE-- To prevent this center-piece from absorbing atmospheric moisture, the baked Cornucopia cone can be sprayed with shellac or clear enamel.
• If treated in this manner, the Cornucopia will be inedible but can be preserved and re-used.

DANISH WEDDING TOWER (KRANSEKAGE)

Steps:

• Box of 25 flags on little sticks (1-1½ inch size).
• Platter size paper dollies.
• Using a stand mixer combine marzipan, sugar till it has formed on large ball. Add egg whites little by little.
• Test dough by rolling a small cigar-size ball and form as a ring, if the dough does not crack, you have enough egg white inches.
• The dough will be very dense and sticky.
• Place in refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours, or even better over night.
• Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees F or 200°C.
• Divide dough into 8 pieces or by weight
• 1 10g, 2 20g, 3 30g 4 40g etc.
• Rolling each into finger thick sticks.
• Making the first piece into 3.5 inches,
• Then the next into 5, inches,
• Then the next into 6.5, adding 1.5 inch in length for each piece.
• Make at least 8 pieces.
• Shape them into rings.
• Joining the ends with a little egg white or water.
• Press gently to pitch the middle of the ring a little, like roof tops pointing upwards.
• Place on floured or parchment papered baking sheets.
• Tip: I draw circles on the parchment papers back with a compass, and then place the rings on top side, where I can still see the circles, to make them as even a possible.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes till they are light brown on top.
• Leave to cool off completely, then.
• If freezing, wrap in freezer bags and place in freezer for up till 3 months.
• Defrost the day before intended use.
• Decorations:.
• Draw 24 small hearts, and 24 small wedding circles, or butterflies or other theme items (max. 1 inch in diameter) on the back of parchment paper with a medium to large marker.
• Turn paper over and.
• Melt chocolate in the micro-oven or in a double boiler.
• Fill into a decorator bag with a small fitting.
• Trace chosen patterns with the warm chocolate and let cool completely. Save a little chocolate for attaching the
• Icing:.
• Do icing several hours before you plan to assemble the tower.
• Combine powdered sugar and egg whites for the icing, and fill into a decorator bag or a Ziploc bag, using a very small whole to make a criss-cross pattern from outside edge to inside edge and back again,
• Start with the largest ring, creating the zigzag pattern continue in unbroken pattern all the way around the ring.
• hen do the next biggest ring, and while icing is still wet on the biggest one, place the slightly smaller ring on top. Icing will bind them together.
• Then keep going till you have a small tower.
• Icing takes about 40-60 minutes to harden.
• Melt 2/3 of the chocolate
• Pour into zip lock bag, and carefully cut the one corner, so a very small stream of chocolate comes out at the time.
• Make your chocolate designs on parchment paper or buy plain chocolate rings.
• Place one dollies on a serving platter.
• Place the largest ring on the dollies
• Place 3 small globs of chocolate on the bottom ring.
• Carefully place next biggest ring on top, and place 3 globs of chocolate on it.
• Placing the next biggest ring on top, continue till you have a tower.
• Heat the last chocolate.
• And place a small glob of chocolate on the bottom ring on the side.
• Attach chocolate designs (wedding rings or what you desire) by pressing gently into chocolate globs and holding for a second.
• Move up the rings placing your chocolate designs up the tower.
• Attach flags in between chocolate designs.
• And a bridal figure on top.
• Your wedding tower is ready.
• Enjoy.
• Reverse the tower and make a bassinet for a baby shower. See additional pictures.