Best 4 Cinnamon Stars Zimtsterne German Christmas Cookies Recipes
In the heart of German Christmas tradition, Cinnamon Stars, also known as Zimtsterne, take center stage as delectable treats that capture the essence of the season. These star-shaped cookies, characterized by their delicate and subtly spicy flavor, are a harmonious blend of ground cinnamon, almonds, and a touch of citrus zest. The unique texture, combining a crispy exterior with a soft and chewy interior, makes every bite an indulgent experience. While the classic Zimtsterne recipe holds a special place in German households, variations like Chocolate Cinnamon Stars and Swirled Cinnamon Stars add a touch of creativity and visual appeal to the beloved holiday staple. Whether enjoyed as a sweet treat on their own or used to decorate the Christmas tree, Cinnamon Stars embody the magic and warmth of the festive season.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
CINNAMON STARS (ZIMTSTERNE) GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES
This is the one cookie my husband requested our first Christmas. I had never had them so this recipe is from an amazing blog called Spoonful of Sugar. They are difficult but this recipe makes them also delightful and fun to try if you have the time. The best thing about this recipe (besides the sit down, relax, and have a cup of tea step!) is she gives you her hints after a disastrous first attempt. If you follow this exact, even a non-careful cook like me can make these delicious. Her hints are below, but I will say that I think much depends on the almonds. If they aren't ground just right, you will be nearly unable to form them. You can try chilling them longer but I have given up before and just made them round globs. they are still delicious, so don't throw the batter out, even if you think it is unworkable! * I beat the egg whites with the lemon juice to ensure that they whipped up to the biggest possible volume. * Mixed the ground cinnamon with the ground almonds before folding that mixture into the meringue. * Most importantly, I rolled the dough out between two sheets of clingfilm (Plastic wrap). I am the Clingfilm Queen! This eliminates the need to cover the work surface in extra sugar and thus removes the possibility of things ending in a sticky mess. Divide the dough into smaller portions to do this, keeping the remainder of the dough in the fridge whilst working with one portion. * Dipped the cookie cutter in some cold water to prevent it sticking. * Re-rolled all the scraps as they hadn't been toughened or made overly sticky by adding in extra sugar. The cookies taste as good as they look. Sweet, almondy, and with a heavenly aroma and kick from the cinnamon. Oh, I did have to bake them a lot longer than the recipe or. I did 320 degrees for I think around 16 minutes each, it might have been my oven, or mine were thicker, anyway just keep checking them and take them out when they just get a bit beige. My first batch were undercooked and the ones a bit crispier on the outside were awesome.
Provided by Andolisa
Categories Dessert
Time 1h40m
Yield 30-40 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Separate egg yolks from whites and beat whites until stiff peaks form.
- Slowly sift in the sugar and lemon juice, then beat some more for about 8 minutes.
- Put aside 4 heaped tablespoons of the meringue - this will be used to top the cookies later on.
- Add ground almonds and cinnamon to the remaining meringue and mix well. You might want to add a dash of rum or Amaretto.
- Cover the dough and let it rest in the fridge for about an hour.
- Sit down, relax and have a cup of tea.
- After an hour fetch the dough from the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3/160C/320°F.
- Sprinkle a surface with confectioners' or regular white sugar and roll the dough to approximately 5 mm.
- Cut the stars with a star shaped (yes, indeed!) cookie cutter.
- Put the stars on the lined baking sheet.
- Now get the reserved meringue from earlier. You might have to stir it a bit so it becomes a smooth mix. You also might want to add some more lemon juice. It's a matter of taste.
- Now brush the cookies with the topping and bake them for about 8 minutes.
- Cool on the baking sheet.
- Store in an air-tight tin.
- The cookies should keep for about two weeks.
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.
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
ZIMTSTERNE (CINNAMON STAR COOKIES)
Zimtsterne (cinnamon stars) are maybe THE traditional German Christmas cookies. Everyone loves these little treats. But many don't like to make them, because the sticky dough can be a bit tricky while cutting the stars. But if you take the time to make them, it is more than worthwhile all the work. They are heavenly. If you have tasted the first you can't stop eating them. And christmas without Zimtsterne? NEVER! They are a must.
Provided by Thorsten
Categories Dessert
Time 52m
Yield 40 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a bowl mix dry ingredients for dough.
- Add egg whites and knead until a still sticky dough is formed.
- Wrap into cling film and put into the fridge for at least one hour. I always leave it in the fridge for 2 - 4 hours.
- Near the end of cooling time preaheat oven (170 C) and make meringue glaze.
- For meringue glaze beat egg white with salt until stiff. While still beating add caster sugar by and by to make meringue.
- The meringue should have a consistency that you can spread it with a brush onto the dough later. It should have a more creamy consistency, so that it will stick on the dough and not running down.
- Add just a little milk to get the right consistency. Depending on the egg white you may need about 1 to 3 tablespoons.
- Line out baking trays with parchment paper.
- Get the dough out of the fridge and roll it out between two layers of parchment papers or cling film. The dough sould be a bout 1 cm thick.
- Method ONE for making cinnamon stars (easy way): Using a star cutter cut out the stars and place them on the baking tray. With a brush spread meringue glaze on the cookies.
- Method TWO for making cinnamon stars (tricky way): After you have rolled out the dough spread a thin layer of the meringue glaze on the dough. Now you need a star cutter which can be opened. These are available in Germany. When you can open the cookie cutter you avoid touching the glaze, because the dough has the tendency to stick to the cutter. Put the stars on the tray. Knead the rest of the dough again and add some grounded almonds, so that the dough is not too sticky. Repeat the steps of making the stars.
- Bake the cookies for about 10 - 12 minutes. Watch them carefully, because the meringue should not be browned.
- Take them out and let cool completely. Store them in airtight container. The cookies get better and better, because the flavours blended over time, but I you have to find a good hidout.
- NOTE on egg size: egg size is important here, because it determines the stickyness. My recipe is based on an egg size of 54 - 63 g per egg.
- Custom yield is a guess.
- Time to make does NOT include cooling time.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 85.9, Fat 4.5, SaturatedFat 0.3, Sodium 37, Carbohydrate 10.4, Fiber 1, Sugar 7.9, Protein 2.2
Tips:
- Use high-quality cinnamon: The cinnamon is the star of these cookies, so make sure to use the best quality cinnamon you can find. Ceylon cinnamon is considered to be the best type of cinnamon for baking, as it has a sweeter, more delicate flavor than other types of cinnamon.
- Chill the dough before baking: This will help the cookies to keep their shape and prevent them from spreading too much in the oven.
- Bake the cookies until they are just set: The cookies should be slightly soft in the center when you take them out of the oven. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Decorate the cookies with a simple glaze: A simple glaze made with powdered sugar and water is all you need to give these cookies a beautiful shine. You can also add a few drops of food coloring to the glaze if you want to make them more festive.
Conclusion:
These cinnamon stars are a delicious and festive treat that are perfect for Christmas. They are easy to make and can be decorated with a variety of different glazes and sprinkles. Whether you are baking them for a holiday party or just to enjoy with your family, these cookies are sure to be a hit.
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