Breadstick Cornucopias-A Thanksgiving Tradition!

We have a tradition in my home every Thanksgiving where I make cornucopias from breadsticks for family and friends. We fill them with vegetables, fruit and ranch dip for a delicious and pretty appetizer.  I gave them to a few friends the first year that I made them, and have had special requests for them every year since.

To make them, you will need 2 cans of breadsticks for each cornucopia

Nonstick foil (or regular)
Assorted mixed veggies cut up into bite size pieces-we use broccoli, baby carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumbers, grapes and tiny tomatoes
6 Tablespoons milk or 1 egg white for brushing on dough before baking (Optional)
Ranch dip for dipping

To begin: Take a large sheet of foil and make into a cone shape. I often tape the seam together with scotch tape. Crumble up foil into balls to fill the foil cone shape to help it hold the bread dough weight.

Next, open the breadsticks and separate into the precut strips. Start by wrapping one strip around the tail/closed end of the cone shape (squeeze the end of the cone together first). Then, take another bread strip, and wrap around the end of the cone, just above the first strip, slightly overlapping so that the bread dough strips touch all the way around the cone. Continue with another bread strip above the third one, and so on, until the cone shape has been covered with bread dough strips. Note: it helps to slightly stretch the strips out and when they don't reach all the way around the cone shape, flip the cone over and apply another piece of a strip to each end of the strip to connect it. Pinch ends together completely.

For the top of the cone, take three bread strips and stretch slightly and pinch the top ends of the three strips together and lay on clean counter workspace. Then, braid the three strips together, sealing the bottom together. Wrap the braid around the cone top, and use another bread strip to complete the circle underneath the cone, pinching ends together.

You may use milk or egg white to paint over the cornucopia before baking, if you wish-optional. Bake according to package directions-about 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool.
Once cooled, carefully pull out the foil stuffing and then the foil cone shape from the bread cornucopias.

Place on platter and fill with veggie mixture, letting veggies spill out of cornucopia and onto platter. Serve with ranch dressing or anything you would like to dip the veggies with. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!