Description
Delicate German cinnamon star cookies (“Zimtsterne”)—crisp yet tender on the outside, soft and chewy inside—flavored with warm cinnamon, almond meal, and drizzled with a sweet royal icing glaze. A traditional holiday favorite that’s elegant, festive, and utterly irresistible.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 2 cups almond meal (finely ground almonds)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
- 2 large egg whites (room temperature)
- Pinch of salt
For the Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1–2 tsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 °F (150 °C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together almond meal, powdered sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Reserve 2–3 tablespoons for icing, set aside.
- Gently fold the remaining egg white into the almond mixture until it forms a soft dough. If too dry, add a few drops of water.
- Roll dough between two sheets of parchment to about ¼‑inch thickness. Chill 15 minutes.
- Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut cookies, and transfer to baking sheets.
- Brush tops lightly with reserved egg white.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes until firm and pale—do not brown. Cool completely on the sheet.
- Mix icing ingredients until smooth and glossy. Pipe or spread lightly over the cooled cookies. Let set fully (about 30 minutes) before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 90 kcal
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 15mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg