Cinnamon Stars remind me very much of my childhood. The whole kitchen had the smell of cinnamon at Christmas time. When the cinnamon stars came out of the oven, still super soft but already incredibly delicious, it was almost impossible to stop me.
So it is finally time to create my own Cinnamon Stars. Actually, it’s quite simple. The dough consists of only egg whites, powdered sugar, almonds, hazelnuts, salt and cinnamon and is made quickly.
After cutting out, the Cinnamon Stars get a sweet coating of beaten egg whites and then they go straight into the oven. An absolute classic at Christmas, which should not be missing in any cookie jar at the holidays…at least in Germany.
Tools & Equipment
- 2 large baking sheets
- 2 small bowls
- Cookie cutter, 5cm/2-inch in diameter
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Medium bowl
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- Silicone spatula
- Stand mixer fitted with the whisk & paddle attachment
- Whisk
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Chill the Dough: Chilling is not absolutely necessary for this recipe. If you chill the cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling out, it will be easier to handle. You can prepare the dough up to 2 days ahead and store in the fridge until ready to use. Let it sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes before you start rolling out.
Roll out the Dough: Roll out the dough on a work surface dusted with powdered sugar or on a sheet of parchment paper. The dough can be a little sticky, that’ s why I prefer parchment paper, because the dough will not stick to the parchment.
Cookie Cutter: The dough can be a little sticky. To prevent it from sticking to the cookie cutter and to be able to safely place the stars on the baking sheet, you can dip the cookie cutter in powdered sugar in between.
Ingredients for Cinnamon Stars
Step by Step Guide – How to Make Cinnamon Stars
Preheat the oven to 125°C/257°F convection and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat egg whites and salt on medium until thick and creamy, for about 1 minute.
With the mixer running on medium speed, gradually drizzle in the powdered sugar, for about 5 minutes. To coat the stars later, remove 80g of beaten egg whites and transfer to a small bowl.
In a small bowl whisk together cinnamon, almonds and hazelnuts. Attach the paddle attachment, add the dry ingredients to the egg whites and mix on low until combined, for about 1 minute.
Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll out the dough on parchment paper to a thickness of 6mm/1/4-inch and cut out the cinnamon stars.
Place the stars on the prepared baking sheets. Use a pastry brush to coat the stars with the remaining beaten egg whites. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Let the Cinnamon stars cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: Cinnamon Stars will keep fresh in a cookie jar or an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 weeks. Store the cookie dough in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, bring to room temperature before rolling out. Due to the beaten egg white coating and the soft texture of these cookies, they may not freeze well. However, I have no experience with freezing baked Cinnamon Stars.
My Summary for Cinnamon Stars
Difficulty: Simple.
Taste: Cinnamon Stars are sweet and nutty and have a great cinnamon flavor. For all cinnamon lovers a must try.
Texture: You bake the cookies at low temperature and only for a short time, therefore they have a very soft texture that melts in your mouth.
Time: Getting the dough ready takes about 30 minutes, chilling it in the fridge takes another 30 minutes. For rolling out, cutting out and coating you should plan about 45 minutes. Baking time is about 15-17 minutes per batch/sheet.
More Recipes: Ideas for Gifts
- Chocolate Truffles
- Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Fudge
- Linzer Cookies
- Poppy Seed Stollen
- Soft Molasses Cookies