Resting from travel – baking instead

A rainy weekend at home was the inspiration for me to perfume the house with aromas from freshly baked cinnamon stars. This traditional German cookie is a staple at every Christmas market and rather easy to make.

Here they are fresh out of the oven! Golden brown and partially glazed. Note that half of the batch is covered with royal frosting before baking and the rest will be glanced in sugar glaze once cool. This gives them different appearances and makes it visually more attractive on a plate.

Here is my winning recipe:

Steps:

Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, add the sugar gradually till smooth and firm.

Set aside 5 table spoons of the egg whites for icing.

Mix in the dry ingredients slowly, mixing till incorporated and the fldough is smooth.

Chill the Dow in the fridge overnight.

Then roll it out to a 1/4 inch thickness and use a star cutter to form cookies. Dredge the cutter in caster sugar between cuts to assure good separation of the cookies.

Place on parchment lined baking sheet.

Once all the dough is used (roll up leftovers and reform a 1/4 inch piece as often as needed till used up), glaze each star with royal icing. Use a tooth pick or a skewer to drag it into each corner.

Let the cookies sit for at least 6 hours which will firm up the icing.

Then bake for 15 minutes at 320 Fahrenheit in a convection oven till golden brown.

That’s it. They keep for a long time in a dry cookie box. Naturally gluten-free and minimal fat from the nuts, they are a tasty desert and snack throughout the holiday season.

Enjoy!