What would the holiday season be without Christmas cookies? Undoubtedly one of the highlights of this cold and festive season, christmas cookies can be done many different ways. But the key ingredients in all of them are spices. Cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg are the true stars of holiday desserts! Here is one recipe for cinnamon stars I found in a French cookbook. Enjoy!
Étoiles à la cannelle
1 lemon
3 egg whites
100g sugar
100g powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
300g powdered almonds
150g almond paste
1 pinch of clove powder
sugar for rolling the dough
1. Heat up the oven to 120°C. Rince and dry the lemon, then grate it for the zest. Beat the egg whites until solid while adding little by little the powdered sugar and regular sugar. Add the lemon zest. Add a pinch of cinnamon to 1/3 of the mixture and set aside. Knead the powdered almonds, almond paste, and the rest of the cinnamon and clove. Carefully add the beaten egg whites.
2. Roll out the dough onto a sugared counter or tabletop and cut out stars with the help of a cookie cutter. Rince the cookie cutter with cold water after each use. Place the stars on an aluminum foil-covered tray and cover their surface with the cinnamon-flavoured egg whites. Lower the oven temperature to 100°C and let cook for 40-45 minutes.
-from Cuisiner pour le temps de noël
Though this recipe calls for stars, you have a multitude of available shapes at your disposal. Use whichever one you like best!
Happy Holidays!