Zimtsterne - German Cinnamon Stars
A traditional German Christmas cookie made with ground almond and cinnamon. A delicious treat that is naturally gluten-free
Servings 25 cookies
Calories 6377kcal
Equipment
- silicon baking mat handy tool to prevent dough from sticking to the work surface
- Rolling Pin Guides super helpful to ensure that your cookies have an even thickness which ensures they bake through evenly.
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites at room temperature, see post how to use up the egg yolks
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 cups ground almonds (with their skin on)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Also
Instructions
- Using an electric hand or stand mixer, whisk the egg whites, salt, and sugar with a paddle attachment until stiff.3 egg whites , 1 pinch salt, 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- Remove about ⅓ of the stiff egg white, place into a separate bowl, and set aside. (you will need it to decorate the cinnamon stars later).
- Add the orange zest, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and almonds to the egg white and knead to a homogenous dough with your hands.3 cups ground almonds , 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon , 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cover the dough in cling film and leave to rest in the first for at least two hours. You can also leave it to rest overnight. This will allow for the cinnamon aroma to develop.
- Cover the dough in cling film and leave to rest in the first for at least two hours. (you can also leave it to rest overnight. This will allow for the cinnamon aroma to develop.)
- The next day, preheat your offer to 160°C / 320°F—line two baking trays with baking parchment. Cover your rolling pin in cling film or powdered sugar. (this should help prevent the dough from sticking.) Cover your work surface with powdered sugar or use a non-stick silicon mat.
- Roll out the dough to approximately 1 cm/ ½ inch thickness. Cut out the stars using a star-shaped cookie cutter and place them carefully onto the baking trays. –To prevent the dough from sticking to your cookie cutter – intermittently dunk your cutter in a bowl of powdered sugar.
- Bake them in the oven for between 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them– they should stay white and soft.
- To decorate the cinnamon stars, use the stiff egg white mass you set aside. You have two options for applying the egg whites. Brush them with a pastry brush on the cookies. My preferred method is using an icing bag. First, follow the contours, then fill in the middle. This will give you a more precise icing, and they will look just like the bakeries in Germany.
- Bake them in the oven for between 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them – they should stay white and soft.
Nutrition
Calories: 6377kcal | Carbohydrates: 250g | Protein: 238g | Fat: 554g | Saturated Fat: 39g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 7mg | Fiber: 119g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 2353mg | Iron: 42mg
