In the world of festive baking, cinnamon almond stars, also known as Zimtsterne, stand out as exquisite holiday treats originating from Germany and Switzerland. These delicate star-shaped cookies, adorned with a shimmering glaze and dusted with powdered sugar, are a symphony of flavors and textures, beckoning bakers of all skill levels to embark on a culinary journey. Let us delve into the secrets behind crafting these delectable delights, unearthing the perfect recipe that will make your Christmas cookies the envy of all.
Let's cook with our recipes!
CINNAMON STARS
A beautiful Christmas cookie!
Provided by Robin J.
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European German
Yield 18
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Stir together the almonds, cinnamon, and lemon zest until combined.
- Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Slowly sift in the confectioner's sugar, continuing to beat until the mixture is stiff. Set aside 1/3 cup of the egg white mixture for the glaze. Fold in the almond mixture.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C). Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a surface that has been sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. Using a 2 1/2-inch star cookie cutter, cut out the cookies and place them on the cookie sheets.
- To make the glaze, add the lemon juice to the reserved egg white mixture, stirring until smooth. Brush the tops of the cookies lightly with the glaze. (If the glaze starts to thicken, add a few more drops of lemon juice.)
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. When done, they will be light brown and soft in the center. Remove and cool on wire racks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 189.7 calories, Carbohydrate 21.2 g, Fat 10.7 g, Fiber 2.7 g, Protein 5 g, SaturatedFat 0.8 g, Sodium 24 mg, Sugar 17.4 g
CINNAMON STARS: ZIMTSTERNE (GERMANY)
These are a classic German Christmas cookie; you'll find them in most every household as soon as St. Nicholas' Day (December 6) rolls around. These gluten-free cookies are kind of like a cross between a macaroon and a meringue, with a hint of nutty spiciness. We find them truly addictive. They're designed to keep for a long time, they'll get chewier as time passes.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories dessert
Time 1h
Yield 2 dozen stars
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- 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.
CINNAMON-ROASTED ALMONDS
Here is an easy snack idea to serve at any holiday party.
Provided by BJ
Categories Desserts Nut Dessert Recipes Almond Dessert Recipes
Time 1h15m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Lightly grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
- Lightly beat the egg white; add water, and beat until frothy but not stiff. Add the nuts, and stir until well coated. Mix the sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the nuts. Toss to coat, and spread evenly on the prepared pan.
- Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until golden. Allow to cool, then store nuts in airtight containers.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 230.6 calories, Carbohydrate 13.3 g, Fat 18 g, Fiber 4.2 g, Protein 7.8 g, SaturatedFat 1.4 g, Sodium 40.2 mg, Sugar 8 g
CINNAMON-ALMOND STARS
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Time 1h30m
Yield Makes about 30
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Cookies: Pulse almonds with 1/4 cup brown sugar in a food processor until finely ground. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- With a mixer on medium speed, beat butter with remaining 1 1/4 cups brown sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in egg and Marsala until combined. Reduce speed to low and add almond and flour mixtures, beating until just combined.
- Divide dough in half and shape each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Let dough stand at room temperature until pliable. Roll out one dough disk on a lightly floured surface to just under 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out as many stars as possible, rerolling scraps once. Arrange stars 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake, rotating sheets once, until edges are golden, 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool on sheets 1 minute, then transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool completely. Repeat with remaining disk of dough.
- Icing: With mixer on medium speed, beat confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons water, vanilla, and orange zest until smooth. Spoon mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a small writing tip, or a resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off. Decorate cookies with icing and sprinkle with pearlized sugar; let set about 30 minutes. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container, between sheets of parchment or waxed paper, up to 1 week.
ZIMTSTERNE (CINNAMON STARS)
Edd Kimber creates a version of these German spiced cookies- they're chewy, crisp and similar to an almond macaroon
Provided by Edd Kimber
Categories Treat
Time 45m
Yield Makes about 30
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and line a large baking tray (or 2 smaller) with baking parchment. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to whisk until foamy. Add the lemon juice and whisk again until they hold soft peaks.
- Slowly mix in the icing sugar and continue whisking until the mixture is stiff. Remove about a quarter of the meringue mixture and set aside to use for the topping. Put the almonds, cinnamon, ginger and lemon zest in the bowl with the meringue and mix to form a stiff, slightly sticky dough.
- To form the stars, put the dough on a piece of baking parchment lightly dusted with icing sugar and dust the top of the dough with sugar, too. Place a second sheet of parchment on top of the dough and roll out to about 0.5cm thick (the dough is a little sticky, so the parchment makes it easier to roll). Peel off the top sheet of parchment and use a 5cm star-shaped cutter to cut out as many cookies as possible. Place them on your prepared baking tray.
- Using the reserved meringue mixture, spread a small amount onto the top of each cookie, covering the entire top - you may need to add a few drops of water to make the meringue a little easier to spread. Put the tray in the oven and bake for 12-15 mins until meringue is set but not browned. Allow to cool fully before storing in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 78 calories, Fat 5 grams fat, Carbohydrate 7 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 7 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 2 grams protein
CINNAMON STARS
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine the almonds and cinnamon. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar while beating until egg whites become thick and glossy. Gently fold egg whites into almond mixture.
- Lightly dust a board with powdered sugar and roll egg white dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Use a cutter dusted with powdered sugar to cut out stars. Using a spatula, carefully lift stars onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F. Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until set through, remove from oven and brush with glaze. Continue baking for 5 more minutes. Transfer to cooling racks to cool.
CINNAMON TOASTED ALMONDS
Crunchy, cinnamon almonds are a spectacular treat to bring to a party or gathering. "They taste just like the cinnamon roasted almonds you get at the fair," says Janice Thompson from Stacy, Minnesota.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Snacks
Time 40m
Yield about 4 cups.
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a large bowl, beat egg whites until frothy; beat in vanilla. Add almonds; stir gently to coat. Combine the sugars, salt and cinnamon; add to nut mixture and stir gently to coat. , Spread evenly in 2 greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake at 300° for 25-30 minutes or until almonds are crisp, stirring once. Cool. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 250 calories, Fat 18g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 166mg sodium, Carbohydrate 16g carbohydrate (10g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 8g protein.
GERMAN CINNAMON STARS (ZIMTSTERNE)
Provided by Gil Marks
Categories Cookies Mixer Nut Dessert Bake Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Fall Kosher Hazelnut Cinnamon Party Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Dairy Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Soy Free
Yield Makes about thirty-six 2-inch cookies
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- 2. Combine the nuts, cinnamon, and zest. Beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add the salt, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until stiff and glossy, 5 to 8 minutes. Reserve one-third of the meringue (about 1/3 cup) and fold the nut mixture into the remaining meringue.
- 3. Place a large piece of waxed paper on a flat surface and sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar. Place the nut mixture on the sugar, lightly sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, top with a second piece of waxed paper, and roll out 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top piece of waxed paper. Using a cookie cutter dipped in water, cut into 2-inch star shapes or use a sharp knife to cut into diamonds. Reroll and cut any scraps. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- 4. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Spread the reserved meringue over the top of the cookies and bake until the tops are lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool. Zimtsternen taste best if allowed to stand for 24 hours. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
SUGARED CINNAMON ALMONDS
Make and share this Sugared Cinnamon Almonds recipe from Food.com.
Provided by lisar
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 35m
Yield 3 1/4 cups
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with vegetable oil.
- In a large bowl combine sugar and cinnamon.
- In another large bowl beat egg white until slightly frothy. Stir in vanilla and salt.
- Add almonds to egg mixture and toss to coat.
- Then pour almonds into cinnamon sugar mixture and toss to coat.
- Spread sugar coated almonds on lined baking sheet.
- Bake 25 minutes; stir after 10 minutes.
- Let cool and remove from pan with slotted spoon.
Tips for Making Cinnamon Almond Stars:
- Use high-quality ingredients. This will make a big difference in the final flavor of your cookies. Look for fresh, organic ingredients whenever possible.
- Make sure your butter is cold before you start. This will help the cookies keep their shape in the oven.
- Work quickly when assembling the cookies. The dough can become sticky if you work it too much.
- Don't overbake the cookies. They should be golden brown on the edges, but still soft in the center.
- Let the cookies cool completely before you store them. This will help them keep their shape and texture.
Conclusion:
Cinnamon almond stars are a delicious and festive cookie that is perfect for the holiday season. They are easy to make and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Whether you are baking them for a party or just for a special treat, these cookies are sure to be a hit.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love