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Zimtsterne (German Cinnamon Stars)

A batch of German cinnamon star cookies in a jar on a wooden board.
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4.9 from 23 reviews

These zimtsterne, or German cinnamon stars, are gluten-free cookies made with ground almonds and hazelnuts, warm cinnamon, and a smooth white royal icing top. They have a soft, chewy center and a bright citrus note from lemon zest, a classic German Christmas cookie.

Ingredients

Scale

For the cookie dough:

  • 6.2 oz (175 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup + 2 1/2 teaspoons (125 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (25 g) ground cinnamon
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoon (50 g) hazelnut meal 
  • 1/2 cup +1 teaspoon (50 g) almond meal
  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

For the white royal icing:

  • 1 1/2 cups + 5 teaspoons (200 g) icing (powdered) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30 g) egg whites, room temperature (see note #1)
  • several drops of lemon juice

* If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.

Instructions

  1. To make the cookie dough, place softened butter, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix. Add egg, hazelnut meal, and almond meal and mix again.
  2. Add the sifted all-purpose flour and mix to combine. Remove the cookie dough from the bowl and form a ball.
  3. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin between two sheets of parchment paper (sprinkled with icing sugar) to a thickness of 0.4 inch (1 cm) and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  4. To make the white royal icing, whisk the egg white with icing sugar and 3 to 4 drops of lemon juice using an electric mixer.
  5. Take the cookie dough out of the fridge and spread a thin layer of royal icing with a bent spatula. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  6. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Cut out cookie stars with a 2-inch (5 cm) star-shaped cookie cutter, dipping it in hot water and drying it between cutouts. Remove cookies by pushing them underneath, and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  7. Bake cookies in the middle of the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Bake until set, but do not color the royal icing. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool down on a wire rack.

Notes

  1. 30 g of egg whites are approximately equal to 1 fresh egg white from a medium-sized chicken egg. 
  2. Use a six- or five-star cookie cutter interchangeably. If you don't have a star-shaped cookie cutter, use a diamond- or triangle-shaped one. Feel free to use your favorite but simple cookie cutter.
  3. If the cookie dough is too soft while cutting, return it to the fridge for a few minutes, then continue.
  4. For a neat appearance, cut the star cookies after spreading the royal icing, pushing them underneath to remove them.
  5. If you are short on time, cut out the cookies first, then use a small spoon, a pastry brush, a butter knife, a small offset spatula, or even a toothpick to spread the meringue icing on top of the cookies.
  6. Test and adjust your oven. Do not overbake cookies; otherwise, the royal icing turns brown. Aim for icing as white as possible, but a slight brown tint is fine.
  7. The remaining cookie scraps (offcuts) aren't as pretty as cinnamon stars, but you can bake them as well. They are delicious.
  8. Store cookies in an airtight container in a cold place for a month.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/german-cinnamon-star-cookies-christophe-felder/