Christmas Cookie Recipe for Zimtsterne zum Weihnachten

By Jennifer McGavin, About.com Guide

These "Zimtsterne" cookies are a very traditional part of the Christmas and Advent offerings to guests in Germany. Cinnamon and almonds taste great together. Many people buy them packaged, but they are easy to make and taste better than the store-bought. Handmade cookies are also appreciated as little gifts, or "Mitbringseln", when visiting friends, too.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen, 3 ½  inch cinnamon star cookies.

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

·        4 egg whites

·        3 1/2 cups

·        4 cups

·        2 tsp. ground cinnamon

·        1 oz. Kirschwasser (Cherry Brandy), or Disaronno Amaretto (optional)

Preparation:

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Continue beating for 5 minutes after the last addition. The mixture should be very stiff, like the icing used to hold the gingerbread house together.

Remove 1/2 cup of meringue and set aside for icing.

Fold in the raw almond meal and the cinnamon. Add the Kirschwasser, if you are using it, and incorporate.

Chill the dough for about 1 hour. (Not necessary.)

Using ample powdered sugar on your baking board or clean countertop, pat the dough into a square and roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out stars with a cookie cutter. Powder the cookie cutter between each cut. Place stars on a non-stick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Cutting out the stars is a sticky process. Wash off the cookie cutter as often as necessary to achieve sharp star points.

Brush or spread the icing on each star, working it out to all the points.

Let the stars dry overnight (about 24 hours, if you can). The oven is a good place if you don't forget they are there and preheat for something else.

The next day, heat the oven to 325°F. Bake each tray for 10-15 minutes. (I baked them for 11 minutes.) This is to dry out the cookies a little more and bake the egg whites. Try to remove the cookies before the icing turns brown, although a little brown tint can look nice.

Store these cookies in a dry place at room temperature.

Notes: You can make almond meal yourself in a blender or buy it in the baking aisle of many grocery stores or natural food stores. The price for 1 pound ranges between US$ 4.00 - 16.00.

Some Zimtsterne recipes ask for blanched, ground almonds. These are perfectly fine to use but the extra step of removing the skin is quite a bit more work and does not affect the final product much.

My notes: Double this recipe for one batch of cookies. Use extra meringue for icing. A half cup is not enough. (Make one recipe of meringue and take out a half cup for the icing. Use the remainder of the meringue for the cookies. Then make another recipe of meringue and add to the half cup to use for the icing.)

Store the meringue in an air-tight container on the counter until ready to use. If you leave it uncovered, it begins to crystalize.

This cookie does not spread. Whatever size you cut out the cookie is the size it remains.