-
1
Dissolve sugar in 2 cups warm water.
-
2
Stir yeast into sugar-water mixture, and let stand 5 minutes.
-
3
Pulse flour and 1 Tbs.
-
4
salt in bowl of food processor, or combine in stand mixer fitted with dough hook.
-
5
Add yeast mixture and oil, and process 1 minute, or beat with mixer 3 to 5 minutes, or until dough forms smooth, sticky ball that hits against sides of food processor or mixing bowl.
-
6
Rub large bowl with oil, place dough in bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour in warm place.
-
7
Punch down dough, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.
-
8
Preheat oven to 350F.
-
9
Line baking sheet with parchment paper, and have small glass of water ready.
-
10
Halve poster board so you have one 20- x 15-inch piece; shape poster board into cone, and tape to hold.
-
11
Trim open edge of cone so it stands flat on baking sheet.
-
12
(Trimmed cone should be 7 inches wide at mouth and 15 inches long.)
-
13
Smoothly cover outside of cone with foil, turning edges in, as necessary.
-
14
Fill cone with crumpled parchment paper or foil to keep cone from collapsing.
-
15
Stand cone on prepared baking sheet, and coat foil with cooking spray.
-
16
Roll out one-third of dough to 20- x 6-inch rectangle.
-
17
(Keep remaining dough in refrigerator so it wont get too soft.)
-
18
Cut dough into four 20- x 11/2-inch strips.
-
19
Wrap 1 dough strip around wide base of cone on baking sheet, wetting ends, and pressing ends together to seal so you have a ring of dough.
-
20
Wet end of second dough strip, press end onto first strip, and wrap around cone, overlapping first dough strip by one-third to one-half of strip width.
-
21
Wet end, and press to hold in place.
-
22
Continue wrapping third and fourth dough strips around cone, working your way up to narrow end.
-
23
Repeat with remaining dough until cone is completely wrapped in overlapping strips of dough.
-
24
When finished, braid three strips of dough, and wrap around base (wide end of cone).
-
25
Lay cone on its side on prepared baking sheet, best-looking side up.
-
26
Beat egg with 1 Tbs.
-
27
water and remaining pinch of salt in small bowl.
-
28
Brush egg wash all over cornucopia.
-
29
Bake cornucopia 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown.
-
30
Remove cornucopia from oven.
-
31
Carefully remove crumpled parchment paper from inside of cone, then gently pull cone away from sides of cornucopia with tongs, and remove.
-
32
Return cornucopia to oven,
-
33
and bake 20 minutes more, or until inside of cornucopia is dry and beginning to brown.
-
34
Brush hot cornucopia with melted butter, if using.
-
35
Cool.
