Zimtsterne spiced cinnamon stars. Original gluten-free recipe
The Zimtsterne (literally cinnamon stars), are spiced cookies originating from German-speaking Switzerland, irresistible!
These star-shaped, gluten-free Christmas cookies, with almonds spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, originated in Switzerland and were later adopted in Germany and Austria.
The original recipe of Zimtsterne is quite easy to prepare if you follow the tips I provide, step by step, in the recipe.
Perfect to give as a starry gift to family and/or friends during the Christmas period.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 18 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: International
- Seasonality: Winter, Christmas
Ingredients for Zimtsterne, spiced cinnamon stars
- 3 3/8 cups almond flour
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 egg whites (at room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 pinch fine salt
- as needed powdered sugar (for the work surface)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg white
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Tools
- Scale digital, with removable bowl and alarm timer
- Stand Mixer Kenwood with 1400 W of power, illuminated bowl
- Hand Mixer electric Philips, with 450 W power
- Toothpicks
- Cookie Cutters star-shaped
- Baking Sheet adjustable
- Containers Christmas tin
Preparation for Zimtsterne, spiced cinnamon stars
Take a bowl and lightly beat the 3 egg whites with an electric mixer, then add the powdered sugar one spoonful at a time and continue beating for about 5 minutes.
In another bowl, mix the almond flour, spices, and a pinch of salt.
Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the dry ingredients, from bottom to top. The dough will seem a bit sticky, but don’t worry because it will firm up in the fridge.
Place the dough in the fridge for at least an hour, an important step to firm up the dough and cut the cookies well.
Generously dust a work surface with powdered sugar and, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 0.4 inches.
Cut the cookies with star-shaped cutters, dipping the cutter into a bowl of cold water each time.
I recommend doing this operation quickly, otherwise the dough will become sticky again and it will be difficult to cut the cookies.
As you cut out the stars, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Let the cookies dry for no less than 4-5 hours, preferably overnight.
Shortly before glazing the cookies, prepare the Royal Icing: slightly beat the egg white with an electric mixer along with the lemon juice, then gradually add the powdered sugar, continuing to beat.
After the indicated resting time, you have two options (I prefer the second): either glaze the cookies and then bake them or bake them first and then glaze them.
To glaze the cookies, use a teaspoon, place the glaze in the center, and then spread it with a toothpick towards the tips of the stars.
Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 320°F, for 8-10 minutes (whether you choose to glaze them or not), they should remain white.
Let them cool as they are very delicate and will solidify as they cool.
If you chose not to glaze them, remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool, and then glaze them.
Notes and Tips
As I mentioned above, I prefer these cinnamon spiced stars with the glaze brushed on after baking, but if you want to give them as gifts, I recommend glazing them before baking because they are less delicate and won’t get damaged during transport.
These cookies keep for a long time if you store them in food-safe bags or tin boxes.
If you’re looking for other cookies click HERE.
Shopping Tips!!!
To work the dough effortlessly, I use my Titanium Chef Patissier XL stand mixer with illuminated 7L bowl, 1400 W power, integrated scale, and blender, a faithful ally in the kitchen for: kneading, weighing, whisking, cooking, chopping, melting chocolate, pasteurizing eggs.
If you’re looking for a more economical stand mixer, you can conveniently purchase the Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker stand mixer, with double bowl (5L and 3.5L) and 1200 W power, integrated scale.
I whisked the egg whites with the excellent Philips electric hand mixer with 5 speeds (+ turbo) and 450 W power.
I also recommend this very handy multi-use adjustable baking sheet, ideal for baking cookies, pizzas, and focaccias, savory and sweet pies, without capacity issues
The set of star-shaped cutters (in various sizes) is essential for preparing Zimtsterne (you can easily find them on Amazon).
These Christmas tin boxes, to store cookies for a long time and make DIY Christmas gifts, are also available on Amazon, but if you like them, hurry to buy them because they sell out every year!
You can purchase all the items I recommend above on Amazon at a great price, just click directly on the respective links.
You can purchase all the items I recommend above on Amazon at a great price, just click directly on the respective links.
You can purchase all the items I recommend above on Amazon at a great price, just click directly on the respective links.
Origins and History of Zimtsterne
The origins of Zimtsterne (star-shaped spiced cinnamon cookies) are known thanks to a German researcher who documented their origin. It all began in the Middle Ages when many goods were traded between Europe and Southeast Asia. However, it was not until the 18th century that the recipe for Zimtsterne appeared in German cookbooks.
The original recipe for Zimtsterne was kept secret until the mid-19th century. It was only known that the upper bourgeoisie, for Christmas, baked delicious star-shaped cookies with a cinnamon aroma.
