German Cinnamon Star Cookies (Zimtsterne)
Cinnamon combines with a meringue and almond flour to create a light, gluten free Zimtstern. Most Germans buy this Christmas cookie at stores, but it's SO much better homemade!They are on my 5 favorite German Christmas cookies list!
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 81kcal
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 200 g powdered sugar
- 300 g almond flour Almond flour has no skins and is finer in texture and makes for a more delicate cookie. Or ground almonds (with skin), which is more traditional and will also result in a darker cookie, which you see more typically as the store-bought version.
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon I like to use organic Ceylon cinnamon.
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 100 g powdered sugar for rolling out the dough
Instructions
- Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Add in the lemon juice and powdered sugar and beat for 6 to 8 minutes. Before you move on to the next step, reserve 5 tablespoons of this mixture in a small bowl and cover it airtight. Keep cold in the fridge.3 egg whites, 1 pinch salt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 200 g powdered sugar
- Add the ground almonds, cinnamon and vanilla to the beaten egg white sugar mixture and stir until combined. Cover the dough airtight and move it to the fridge for 2 hours to chill. This makes it easier to roll out the dough. You can also keep it in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours.300 g almond flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven (convection setting) to 300 ℉ or 150℃. Prep baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Roll out the dough on a fairly thick layer of powdered sugar to ½ inch thickness. Using a small (1 to 1.5 inch in diameter) star cookie cutter, cut out stars, making sure to remove any dough residue in between and dipping the cutter in powdered sugar to prevent sticking.Pro tip: keep a shallow bowl of warm water closely to dip your cutter in between when it gets too sticky. This helps the dough slide out of the cookie cutter.100 g powdered sugar
- Using a pastry brush, brush on the reserved egg mixture. You can do this step either while the cookie is still in the cookie cutter and before placing it on your baking sheet or after moving the cut out shapes onto the baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes in the center of your oven.With the convection setting (hot air circulating), there should not be a need to rotate sheets if baking more than one sheet at once. However, depending on your oven, you may want to add this step. I would not recommend baking more than 2 sheets at once.
Notes
- Beat long enough: Whip egg whites and sugar for 6–8 minutes for the fluffiest texture.
- Don’t overbake: Bake for only 12 minutes. Longer baking makes them hard.
- Chill the dough: Refrigerate dough for 2 hours, so it’s easier to handle.
- Use lots of powdered sugar: It prevents sticking when rolling and cutting.
- Clean your cutter: Wiping it between cuts gives you cleaner star edges.
Nutrition
Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg