Favorite Zimtsterne

Zimtsterne, German for cinnamon stars, are one of the most beloved cookies on the German Christmas table, and for good reason. The dough is made entirely of ground almonds, powdered sugar and warm cinnamon bound with whipped egg white, with no flour at all. That makes them naturally gluten-free and gives them a dense, chewy bite.

The clever part is the meringue. You whip the egg whites with sugar and a little lemon juice, set aside a few spoonfuls, then fold the almonds and cinnamon into the rest. The reserved meringue gets brushed over the cut stars, baking into the signature snowy-white glaze that tops every proper zimtstern.

A couple of practical notes from the dough itself: roll it out on powdered sugar rather than flour, and cut your stars close together, since the sticky almond scraps don’t re-roll well.

Kitchen Tips

• Roll the dough on powdered sugar, never flour. Flour dries out the almond dough and dulls the flavor.
• Cut the stars as close together as you can. The leftover dough doesn’t re-roll well, so use the space wisely.
• Brush the reserved meringue on evenly for that classic white top, and don’t overbake. The cookies should stay chewy inside.
• If the dough is too sticky to roll, chill it briefly to firm it up.

Variations

• Add a little grated lemon or orange zest to the dough for brightness.
• Use hazelnuts for some of the almonds for a different nutty note.
• No star cutter? Roll into balls and press flat with a fork, as the recipe suggests.