Zimtsterne German Cinnamon Stars



Cinnamon stars are popular classic German Christmas cookies. They are rolled and cut into star the shape of star. Light and crisp, they have a fabulous balance of nuts and cinnamon. So, don't miss the chance to relish these cookies and try baking it yourself. I wish you a warm and happy Holiday!
 

• 3 Egg whites, medium
• 250 g Confectioners' sugar plus more for rolling
• 1 package / 8 g Vanilla sugar
• 380 g Almonds, finely ground
• 1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
• 3 drop Almond extract

1.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift the confectioners' sugar. Blend together the ground hazelnuts and cinnamon. Whip the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until they hold soft peaks, about 1 minute. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar while whipping, until the whites are stiff and glossy. Reserve 3 tablespoons of this meringue for topping the cookies. Fold the nut mixture into the remaining meringue to make a stiff dough. Cover the dough and let it rest in the fridge for about an hour.
2. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the work surface and lightly dust with confectioners' sugar. Turn the dough out onto the dusted paper, and then top with a piece of cling film. Roll the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Remove the cling film.
3. Using a star form cookie cutter, cut out stars in the dough. To avoid the dough sticking to the form run the cookie cutter under cold water and then shake off any excess water. Transfer the cinnamon stars to the prepared tray using a metal spatula. Frost each cookie with the reserved meringue. If desired, decorate the cookies with almonds. Leave the cookies to dry out overnight.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 150C/300F and bake for about 10 minutes. Try to remove the cookies before the icing turns brown, although a little brown tint can look nice. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks

 Recipe Source: http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/12/zimtsterne-german-cinnamon-stars.html