Healthy Cookie Cutter Birdseed Ornaments
Yield: 10 Medium Ornaments
Materials
- 2 Tbps unflavoured gelatin (30 mL or 2 pouches)
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 2 1/2 cup birdseeds
- 1/4 cup raisins or currant (optional)
- 1/4 cup walnuts, peanuts or almonds, chopped (optional)
- 2 Tbsp jam, jelly or marmalade (optional - grape, berry, apple, cherry, raspberry, red currant, and orange)
- Twine, cotton or wool string
- Large cookie tray
- Sticks for making holes (2" long and as thick as a drinking straw)
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- Pour 1/2 cup of cold water into a large bowl and sprinkle 2 Tbsps. of gelatin over the liquid.
- Add 1/2 cup of boiling water and stir the mixture constantly until the gelatin has fully dissolved, about 1-2 minutes.
- Scoop 2.5 cups of birdseeds along with optional add ins into the gelatin mixture and stir together until all the seeds are well coated.
- Continue to stir until there is no liquid puddling at the bottom of the bowl. This should only take a few minutes.
- Prep the cookie cutters by placing them on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Once the mixture is ready, firmly pack the cookie cutters with the birdseed mixture.
- Make a hole in the ornament using a stick (about the size of a drinking straw) about 1/2" down from the edge of the ornament.
- Place the ornaments in warm place to dry for 24 to 48 hours. Carefully flip, or put the ornament on its side so that the bottom can dry too.
- Once the ornament feels dry, carefully press it out of the cookie cutter and remove the stick.
- Pass a string through the hole of the ornament and hang on a tree outside.