Cinnamon Stars: Zimtsterne (Germany)

From Food Network Kitchens

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (45)

Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
2 dozen stars

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: 10 min
Cook: 30 min
Total:: 1 hr 0 min

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Ingredients

2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling* (please see Cook's Note)
15 ounces sliced almonds, with skin (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Directions

Sift the confectioners' sugar.

Put 1/2 cup of the sifted confectioners' sugar, 10 ounces (3 heaping cups) of the almonds and all the cinnamon in a food processor. Process until the nuts are finely ground, with just a few larger pieces.

Whip the egg whites in a large, clean bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until they hold soft peaks, about 1 minute. Gradually add the remaining confectioners' sugar while whipping, until the whites are thick, creamy and somewhat stiff, about 2 minutes more. Set aside 2/3 cup of this meringue for topping the cookies.

Fold the ground almond mixture and the lemon zest into the remaining meringue to make a stiff dough.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Lay a sheet of parchment or waxed paper on the work surface and lightly dust with confectioners' sugar. Turn the dough out onto the dusted paper, flatten and dust with more sugar as needed, and then lay another sheet of parchment or waxed paper on top. Roll the dough between the papers until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Flip the dough over and gently peel off a sheet of the paper. For ease when cutting, lay the paper back on the dough, flip again and gently pull off the other side of the paper so that the dough is fully released from it.

Cut cookies with a 3-inch star cutter and place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. (Excess dough can be rerolled.) Use a small spoon, brush or offset spatula to spread the reserved meringue over the top of each cookie, taking care not to let the meringue drip over the sides. Press or sprinkle remaining sliced almonds in a decorative pattern into the meringue.

Bake cookies until bottoms are light golden brown and meringue is set and crisp, about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door to release heat and dry cookies out in the oven for 10 more minutes.

Busy baker's tips: The dough can be frozen between the sheets of paper for up to 2 weeks. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

*Cook's Note: the amount of confectioners' sugar is correct in this recipe. The voice over on the video is incorrect. Use 1/2 cup with the almonds and 1 3/4 cups with the egg whites.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Cinnamon Stars: Zimtsterne (Germany)
Kevin Fairfield, CA 10-08-2009
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Outstanding
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I am a chocolate chip cookie person myself, but these are the best cookies I have ever had, bar none. There are a lot of... steps, but it is easy. I used christmas cookie cutters and they looked beautiful, just like the picture. Read more
recipe Cinnamon Stars: Zimtsterne (Germany)
Jill Murrieta, CA 01-19-2009
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A beautiful cookie that isn't like everyone else's
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made these for a belated Christmas cookie exchange. I am glad I read the reviews before making them, the suggestions made... by others were quite helpful. I received a lot of compliments on how nice the cookies looked, and while we didn't eat them at the cookie exchange, I think these taste great. Neither the taste nor the texture will be like anyone else's cookie. My adaptations included using TONS of confectioners' sugar when rolling out the dough, and rolling them a little thinner than 1/4" (the cookies I rolled to 1/4" puffed up a bit in the oven). I would probably cook them a bit longer than the recommended 30 minutes, my meringue tops were still very white on the first two batches I made. For my third batch, I tried the suggestions of using additional nuts (about 3 ounces extra), and using additional sugar (about 1/4 cup) in the meringue. Unfortunately, in that batch I forgot to pull out the 2/3 cup of meringue for the tops, so the dough was really sticky and I had to use a lot of sugar when I rolled anyway. Also, I recommend not pre-heating your oven until after you have put the meringue on, before you place the almonds. Both of those tasks are time-consuming, so your oven will have plenty of time to pre-heat while you are doing them, rather than wasting energy during the whole process. Even with all of the work, I will definitely make these cookies again. Read more
recipe Cinnamon Stars: Zimtsterne (Germany)
mackenzie apple valley, MN 12-16-2008
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great tradition!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This recipe was GREAT! yes...as some said...it was very tedious...but as you are rolling out the dough just use A LOT of... powdered sugar and take your time. I also froze the dough for an hour before cutting out the cookies. My advice would also be to pick out your best almond slices before you make the dough. That way you can use them for the decoration. turned out great and look almost just like the picture. My aunt bit into one and instantly said "just like Grandma Margaret use to make!" It was a great German treat!Read more
recipe Cinnamon Stars: Zimtsterne (Germany)
Chelsea Germantown, MD 12-16-2008
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Not as hard as it looks
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

After reading all the reviews and trying the recipe for myself I have come to a conclusion: this recipe is easy! The trick... that I found made everything so much simpler is to use vegetable spray on the parchment sheets when rolling out the dough. This eliminates the stickiness almost completely. No need to refrigerate the dough or dip the cutter in hot water. I also sprayed the spatula and that made lifting the cookie and placing it on the cookie sheet as simple as working with sugar cookie dough. I will make this recipe again and do everything the same - will add more almonds and a bit more zest too. Read more
recipe Cinnamon Stars: Zimtsterne (Germany)
Patricia Anchorage, AK 12-15-2008
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Worth Every Minute!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have tried 4 recipes from this series of cookies recipes on Food Network. This is by far--the BEST. I refrigerated the... dough in very cold temperatures and this allowed the dough to be easier to work with. The secret is keeping the dough COLD. I also added some almond flavor and extra almonds --about 1 cup . I think this made the difference. I also sprinked some sparkling sugar on the meringue in gold and some in blue. Then placed the sliced almonds as pictured in the flower pattern. I will bake another batch this week. They are beautiful and outstanding tasting. This will become one of my treasured holiday recipes. Thank you Food Network! Read more
recipe Cinnamon Stars: Zimtsterne (Germany)
Phyllis Kansas City, MO 12-14-2008
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never again
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I followed the recipe and they turned out ok. I ran out of meringue and made more. I got tired of everything about this... cookie. My daughter found this on line and asked me to help her make them. She left and I was stuck making them. When she returned she wanted to try one, I told her she could try one from the last pan. She never made it, had to go home and sleep. I'm up at 2am just finishing them and I don't like almonds. I can't tell you how they taste. I hope she hates them and won't want to have me help her again. Read more