Zimtsterne Cinnamon Stars
There is no flour and no butter in these biscuits — only ground almonds, egg whites, icing sugar and a great deal of cinnamon. That makes them naturally gluten-free and leaves the middle slightly chewy, close to marzipan. The dough is very sticky and there is no point fighting it: roll it between cling film and dip the cutter in icing sugar before every press. The icing is part of the same meringue, set aside before the nuts go in.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 25 min
- Servings
- 12
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 190 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
A third of the almonds can be ground hazelnuts. Do not use hazelnuts alone: the dough becomes too oily to hold a shape.
Makes: About 24 stars
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Whip the whites
Whisk the whites with the salt to soft foam, then add the sifted icing sugar a little at a time and whip for 5–6 minutes, until thick, snow-white and glossy like marshmallow.
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Step 2: Set the icing aside
Spoon 4 heaped tablespoons of that meringue into a small bowl — this is the icing. Stir the lemon juice into it, cover with cling film and put it aside. Nothing else goes into it.
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Step 3: Make the dough
Fold the cinnamon and ground almonds into the remaining meringue. The dough will be very sticky and heavy, which is correct. Wrap it and leave 30 minutes: the almonds take up moisture and it becomes workable.
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Step 4: Roll it out
Heat the oven to 150 °C. Roll the dough between two sheets of cling film to exactly 1 cm thick. Do not go thinner, or the stars dry out and lose the chewy centre.
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Step 5: Cut the stars
Peel off the top film. Dip a 7 cm cutter in icing sugar before every cut and lift the stars onto lined trays. Gather the scraps, press them together gently and roll again.
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Step 6: Ice them
Spoon the reserved icing onto each star and spread it right to the points without letting it run down the sides. It is the contrast between the white top and the dark edge that makes these recognisable.
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Step 7: Bake
Bake for 15 minutes in the bottom third of the oven. The icing should stay white and matt rather than colour. The stars come out soft and firm up as they cool.
Tips & variations
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Tip
If the dough sticks even through the film, chill it for 15 minutes. Never add more almonds to dry it — the biscuits go dry and crumble.
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Swap
A third of the almonds can be ground hazelnuts. Do not use hazelnuts alone: the dough becomes too oily to hold a shape.
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Tip
Keep the oven at 150 °C, no hotter. Above that the icing yellows and you end up with plain brown biscuits.
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Storage
In a tin they keep three weeks and stay soft. If they do dry out, shut a slice of apple in with them overnight.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 12 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 190 kcal | 2,280 kcal |
| Protein | 5 g | 60 g |
| Fat | 11 g | 132 g |
| Carbohydrates | 19 g | 228 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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