These cookies are a Christmas typical for Germans and the Swiss but are also very common in South Tyrol.
The recipe was given to me by Daniella during a photographic workshop in Sicily. I should have only talked about photography, photographers, and composition. However, as usual, I talked about food and recipes. She then sent me recipes for Tyrolean cookies.
These cookies are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, with an almond and cinnamon flavor that’s so Christmas-esque.
Zimtsterne
- Preparation time: 60 minutes
- Ingredients for 34 cookies
- Difficulty: Easy recipe
- Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- 4 oz (100 grams) of powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 11 oz (300 grams) of ground almonds
- For the glaze:
- ½ oz (10 grams) of meringue
- 4 oz (110 grams) of icing sugar
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of water
- Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 300°F.
- Chop the almonds in a food processor until they become flour.
- Beat the egg white until peaks form. Gradually add the icing sugar until the mixture becomes very smooth and shiny.
- Add the cinnamon and almonds. Mix first with a spatula, then knead briefly with your hands.
The dough will be compact but sticky. Let it rest covered in the fridge for about an hour. - Roll out the dough on a sheet of parchment paper dusted with icing sugar to a width of about 1/3 inch. Use a 3-inch star-shaped cookie cutter.
- Place all the biscuits on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake in the hot oven for about ten minutes. The biscuit should be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
- Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. In a food processor, pulverize the meringue. Add the icing sugar and lots of water until you have a soft but compact cream.
- As soon as the cookies are cold, brush on a thin layer of glaze mixture all the way to the edges of the cookies. To do this without the need of a sac a poche, put a teaspoon of glaze in the center of the cookie and then gently bring it towards the points of the star with a toothpick.
Leave the icing to dry for at least ten minutes.
Tips to ensure the success of the dish:
- If you prefer, you can use half hazelnuts, half almonds for a stronger flavor.
- The timing of cooking in the oven is indicative because each oven cooks differently.
- The icing with meringue is a recipe I got from Paola Freschi. It’s very convenient because it’s very quick to make without the need to use pasteurized egg. Ancient and homemade recipes always have a very “loose” use of eggs. Today we’re much more attentive to salmonella.
