How to make your own cornucopia

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:35

The cornucopia is a beautiful symbol of we alth and fertility. It is usually filled with a variety of fruits or precious coins. This mythical image is used, as a rule, in architecture, for example, in cornices or when decorating windows. But you can make a cornucopia with your own hands. Today you will learn how to create this dainty symbol of we alth from dough and fruit yourself. The whole job will take you 1.5-2 hours. However, the time spent on this creative activity will fly by for you completely unnoticed.

What does the cornucopia mean?

The concept of this unusual object came to us from ancient Greek mythology. There are several legends associated with this bright and beautiful image. According to legend, the horn belonged to Plutos, the owner of the untold riches of the underworld. This god gave people a good harvest and fertility. In the Middle Ages, the myth of the horn was associated with the image of the holy goblet - the Grail. It was believed that those who drank from it would be gifted with immortality and purification from all sins.

Today, in many countries of the world, the horn isin a cult way. For the most part, this applies to eastern countries such as Turkey, for example. The cornucopia is depicted on the coats of arms of some states and cities: Peru, Colombia, New Jersey, Kharkiv, etc. Let's try to bake an original dough product, a symbol of fertility, which can be an excellent decoration for a wedding or holiday table.

Ingredients

This dessert can be prepared very quickly using the usual dough, which is sold in any store in the confectionery department. You can use the bread base or for baking pies. If you have a bread maker, make a quick yeast dough. If you prefer to cook only at home and on your own, then you have to work a little.

For the sweet dough, you will need 250 grams of flour, 100 ml of low-fat milk, 100 g of butter, a pack of dried yeast, 2 tablespoons of sugar and two eggs. To give the product a beautiful yellow tint, add a little turmeric. Leave one more egg to lubricate the finished product. Prepare also vegetable oil to lubricate the mold. You will also need foil for baking and various fruits or nuts for decoration. Use grapes, apples, tangerines, and walnuts. You can make a horn with sweets and pistachios. It all depends on your abilities and creativity. So let's get to work.

Preparing the dough

Prepare a bowl or pan in which you will knead the dough. First you need to warm the milk a little and pour the yeast into it. At this time, beat the eggs, add the softened butter andsugar. Mix the mass with milk. Next, start adding flour in small portions, continuing to stir the dough with a spoon. It should be soft. Leave it for an hour, remembering to cover the dishes with a towel. It is better to put the dough in a warm place so that it comes faster.

How to make a cornucopia?

While the dough is rising, don't waste your time. Engage in the manufacture of the "form" of the future product. To do this, use ordinary foil. Try to make a cone. Crumple the foil so that one side of the horn is wide, and the other is narrow, pointed. Use several sheets to work at once, wrapping them around its axis. All sides of the model must be smooth so that after baking the product can be easily removed from its shape. Also, the foil must be lubricated with a thin layer of vegetable oil.

Next, when the dough fits, you can proceed to the next step. Divide the finished base into 2-3 parts. Depending on what size you want to get the product, more than one "masterpiece" can be created from the resulting mixture. Roll out one piece of dough on a cutting board dusted with flour. Lubricate your hands with vegetable oil so that the product does not stick. Roll out a thin sheet of dough. The layer should be only 2-3 millimeters. Next, cut it lengthwise into thin lines (about 1-1.5 centimeters wide).

Weave a "basket"

Now comes the hard part. We begin to design our cornucopia. Take one strip and start wrapping it around the sharpest edge of the foil horn. Next, take another strip, wrap it around the horn, and put the ends on top of each other in the form of the letter "V". Add the next strip. Do the same with her. Only now you have to pass the tips under the previous strips in a checkerboard pattern. Carefully lift the dough so as not to spoil the entire product. Continue adding new stripes, forming a "basket". Don't worry if the tip breaks somewhere. It can always be covered with a new strip.

Of course, at the end it will be very difficult, because you will have to skip several lanes at once under each other. So here you have to be patient. Nothing if there are small gaps between the stripes. Keep in mind that the dough will still rise, and all the “voids” will be filled. Decorate the entire side of the foil in this way. At the very end, cut off the remaining ends of the strips. Twist three long strands of dough and braid. Wrap the wide side of the horn with it, pressing the dough a little with your fingers. Use some water to lubricate the braid to the base of the piece.

Baking shape

Now you can start the most important part of our procedure - baking. To do this, beat the egg in a bowl with a fork. Then brush the surface of the product with a brush so that the cornucopia becomes ruddy and shiny. We put it in the oven, preheated to 200 degrees. Bake for about 20 minutes for the horn to be covered with a beautiful golden brown crust. Of course, depending onYour oven's cooking time may be longer or shorter, so check your masterpiece every five minutes to make sure it doesn't burn.

Decorate work

Next, we take the finished dough out of the oven and leave it to cool for 10-15 minutes. Then carefully remove it from the mold, gently unbending the structure. Keep in mind that the dough is still susceptible to breakage. Therefore, it is better to leave it to cool completely, putting it back into the mold. And then comes the fun part of the procedure.

Wash your prepared fruit, nuts, or candy. The cornucopia, whose meaning comes down to the idea of fertility and we alth, should be beautifully and originally decorated. Place it on a large plate pre-decorated with bright autumn leaves. Add various fruits inside: grapes, apples, tangerines. Use nuts for decoration: walnuts, almonds. Create a fun composition by adding beautiful leaves or greenery sprigs. Sprinkle walnuts on the free parts of the plate. Your product should look rich and original. Thus, absolutely all the components of the horn will be very tasty.

Treat homemade

Now that our masterpiece is completely ready, it can be safely put on the most prominent place of the festive table. Such a product will be a great decoration for the New Year or a wedding. This beautiful, light and tasty dish can be enjoyed with the family. You can simply tear off pieces of sweet dough, dip it in butter and have a snack.favorite fruits. If you make a cornucopia of sweets, your culinary masterpiece can be a great gift for a name day or birthday.

Elegant and tasty craft filled with sweets, your family or friends will definitely like it. Many will surely be surprised to see such an unusual product, and will ask you to arrange a master class for them. The cornucopia in this way will help your family members to have a wonderful evening with their friends. Just prepare the dough in advance and buy some fruit. If there are a lot of baskets, and you do not have time to eat them, then do not worry. Cover them overnight with plastic wrap and refrigerate. This will help keep your baked goods fresh until the next morning.

Conclusion

Only the most daring and creative people are not afraid to experiment and create unusual and original products. Such a cornucopia of dough can become not only a delicious treat, but also an excellent decoration for a festive table or an original gift. To prepare such a dish, it is not necessary to have special culinary skills. It is more important to have patience and a sense of taste. After all, designing a beautiful fruit composition is an important stage in the process of creating this whimsical culinary masterpiece. Bon appetit!