Authentic Zimtsterne Recipe Germany, Europe
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
This star-shaped cookie, typically prepared for Advent and Christmas in Germany and most of the Geman-speaking countries, is made with only four to five ingredients, depending on the recipe — almond flour, confectioners' sugar, egg whites, cinnamon, and, sometimes, vanilla sugar. The ingredients are mixed to make a dough, which is rolled out, and star-shaped cookies are cut out and then brushed with an icing made by whisking egg whites and confectioners' sugar. The cookies need to then bake at a low temperature, so the icing does not catch color. Common variations include adding rum or lemon for flavor or using hazelnuts instead of almonds, or a combination of both. Zimtsterne cookies are gluten-free and can keep for about two weeks, if stored in an airtight container.
Cooking tips
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dough
The dough can be made one of two ways — either with an electric mixer or by hand. If an electric mixer is used, the ingredients needed to make the dough can be mixed all at once or mixed separately — first the egg whites, then blending in the remaining ingredients. If going for manual work, the ingredients for the dough are kneaded all at once. In any case, once the dough is formed, it should be wrapped ... Read more -
method
When rolling out the dough, sprinkle the working surface with almond flour or confectioners' sugar to prevent it from sticking. The typical zimtsterne recipe will instruct that the stars be cut out first and then iced, although applying the icing on the rolled out dough before cutting out the shapes results in a neater finish. The scraps left after cutting out the shapes should be reworked into a ... Read more -
cinnamon
Since zimtsterne cookies are heavily spiced with cinnamon, it might be a good idea to go for Ceylon cinnamon, also known as "true cinnamon". Unlike cassia cinnamon, which is the prevalent kind sold in grocery stores, Ceylon cinnamon has barely any amount of coumarin, a compound that causes health issues such as liver damage if taken in excess — more than 5 milligrams a day. -
icing
The icing is prepared by whipping egg whites with confectioners' sugar. For the best results, the ideal egg white to confectioners' sugar ratio is 1:5, so since the size of eggs varies, it's best to weigh the egg whites. The icing should be applied in a thin and even layer, and it is recommended to allow it to dry out before baking the cookies. Also, the icing should not catch color during baking ... Read more -
alternative preparation method
A popular way of making this dough is to whip all the egg whites needed to make the cookies at once together with sugar — the ones needed to make the dough, as well as the ones used for making the icing. The amount of whipped meringue needed for the icing is then portioned out, and the remaining ingredients needed to make the dough are added to rest of the meringue. -
equipment
In Germany, a special zimtsterne cookie cutter is used. This cookie cutter has a unique mechanism in place, making it easy to release the cookie out of the cutter. In case such a cutter is not available, a six-point star-shaped cookie cutter is perfectly fine to use, although it might be a hassle getting the cookie out of the mould because the dough might be sticky. A spatula will come in handy for ... Read more -
variations
The common variations include adding rum or lemon peel for flavor, or using hazelnuts instead of almonds, or a combination of both almonds and hazelnuts. -
vanilla sugar
Vanilla sugar is common in Europe. It is vanilla-flavored granulated sugar, typically sold in small packets. However, vanilla sugar is not only tough to come by outside of Europe, but it's usually pricey as well. To make it at home, mix powdered sugar with vanilla extract in 7:1 ratio. Spread the resulting paste over parchment paper and leave it to dry for 24 hours. To speed up the drying process,... Read more -
storage
If stored in an airtight container, zimtsterne cookies will keep for two weeks.
Zimtsterne
PREP 45min
COOK 16min
READY IN 1h 1min
This recipe gives very detailed instructions on how to prepare the traditional zimtsterne cookies. The dough is made with just almonds, egg whites, cinnamon, sugar, and lemon juice, meaning no flour is added, while the icing is made by whipping egg whites and sugar. The dough needs a lot of chilling time, and it should be frozen before cutting out the cookies if you want to get neat-looking ones.
Ingredients
DOUGH
400g (2 ¾ cup) almonds, ground
390g (2 cups) sugar
3 egg wites
12g (2 ½ tsp) cinnamon
some lemon zest, optional
ICING
2 egg whites
250g (2 cups) confectioners' sugar, or 1:5 ratio of egg whites to sugar
Preparation
Put all the ingredients needed to make the dough in a large bowl.
Mix and knead until a dough forms.
Shape roughly into a rectangle, then wrap in cling film.
Refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours, but ideally, overnight.
Make the icing by whipping egg whites with sugar. However, if wanting perfect results, weigh the egg whites and whip them with five times as much confectioners' sugar.
Mix the egg whites until fluffy, then add the sugar in thirds, beating after each addition until incorporated.
Roll out the dough on a board that will fit in your freezer (sprinkle the board with almond flour or confectioners' sugar, so the dough does not stick) - it may be needed to divide the dough and roll it out on 2-3 boards, depending on how big they are.
Spread the icing on the dough in an even and thin layer.
Put in the freezer for 2 hours.
Once out of the freezer, cut out the cookies either with a special zimtsterne cookie cutter or a six-point star cookie cutter. (Any leftover scraps should be reworked in a new dough, which is then rolled out and spread with the icing before cutting out stars — almond flour should be added to achieve the perfect consistency.)
First, dip the cookie cutter in warm water, then dab it on a kitchen towel, which will absorb the excess water.
Press the cookie cutter into the frozen dough and cut out a star-shaped cookie.
To release it, tap the cutter gently onto a parchment-lined baking tray to release it.
Once you've filled out the baking tray with cookies, let the cookies dry at room temperature for 2 hours, until the icing is hard to touch.
Place the tray on the lower rack of the oven, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 8 minutes — the cookies are baked once they can be lifted from the baking tray.
Also, take care the icing does not tan during baking, as that means the temperature is too high or the cookies are baking for too long.
Once cooled, store in an airtight container.
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