Germans love to eat Christmas
cookies during the Holiday season. One of the most popular German Christmas
cookies are Zimtsterne (cinnamon stars). These cookies are almost entirely made
out of ground nuts (almonds or hazelnuts), which makes them a tasty and naturally
gluten-free Christmas treat. Additionally, Zimtsterne are easy to
make and their star-like shape topped with white frosting makes them a festive addition to your table.
I translated an authentic German
recipe for Zimtsterne (see below). You should definitely try these cookies out
this Christmas season!
· 3 egg whites
· 250 g powdered sugar
· 1 packet of vanilla sugar (can be omitted)
· 3 drops of rum extract/flavor (can be omitted)
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 400 g ground almonds or hazelnuts
Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and then gradually
add the powdered sugar (sugar should be sifted). Save two tablespoons of the
beaten egg whites in a separate bowl (this will be used to glaze the cinnamon
stars in the end). Mix the remaining beaten egg whites carefully with vanilla
sugar, rum extract, cinnamon and half of the nuts. Add the remaining nuts until
you get a smooth, non-sticky dough.
Put some powdered sugar on the counter top and roll the dough
to 1 cm (0.5 inch) thickness. Cut out the stars (you can use a standard cookie
cutter) and put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Glaze the
cinnamon starts with the leftover egg whites (it works best if you use a knife)
and bake them at 140 C (280 F) for 25 min (place rack low).
The cinnamon stars should be a little soft when taken out of
the oven. Let the cookies cool and then store them in an air-tight container.
Enjoy your Zimtsterne!!
Blog post by ICSC Member Fabienne Birkle
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