German Cinnamon Star Cookies

German Cinnamon Star Cookies are called Zimtsterne in Germany. These German Cinnamon Star Cookies are made from a traditional recipe passed down from one generation to the next.

Ingredients for German Cinnamon Star Cookies:

• 3 egg whites size XL for cookies
• 1 egg white XL for icing
• 250 g (8.81 oz) of powdered sugar for cookies
• 175 g – 225 g (6.17 oz – 7.93 oz) of powdered sugar for icing
• 1 package of Dr. Oetker Vanilla Sugar OR 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of almond extract
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 350 g – 400 g (12.34 oz – 14.10 oz) of hazelnut meal for cookies
• about 100 g (3.52 oz) of hazelnut meal for rolling the dough

Preparation of German Cinnamon Star Cookies:

Before you start making the dough, make sure to have either the hazelnut meal or grind the hazelnuts in a nut grinder. Grind the hazelnuts and place them aside. You can find the nut grinder here. 

Beat the egg whites with your electric handheld mixer until stiff. Add sifted powdered sugar one spoon at a time. Add vanilla flavor, almond extract, and cinnamon and mix. Start adding half the portion of hazelnut meal and continue with the second half portion little by little using the kneading hooks of the electric handheld mixer. Add as much hazelnut meal to the dough as needed, until the ingredients are combined, and the dough is smooth. If it is still sticky, place the dough wrapped in cellophane wrap in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. 

Sprinkle hazelnut meal on the work surface. Place the dough on top and roll it using a rolling pin while the dough is covered with the cellophane wrap. The thickness of the dough should be about 0.5 cm (0.2 inches). Use a star cookie cutter to cut the cookies. Place them on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Make sure to dip the star cookie cutter into a bowl of hazelnut meal from time to time to avoid the dough sticking on the cutter.

Beat one egg white with an electric handheld mixer until stiff. Add as much powdered sugar to the egg whites as required to make the mixture smooth and easy to spread. Brush the cookies on the baking sheet with it.

Preheat the oven to 130°C – 150°C (265°F – 300°F). Bake the cookies on the middle rack for about 16-21 minutes depending on the thickness of the cookies. Find additional German Christmas Cookies recipes here.