These 4-ingredient Zimtsterne (cinnamon stars) aka German Christmas cookies are lightly spiced, chewy, and perfect for the holidays. Plus, the easy recipe is naturally vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), gluten-free, and optionally refined sugar-free!
7-8tbsp(70g)icing sugaror powdered Erythritol (see notes)
1tbspwater
Instructions
Watch the video in the post for easy visual instructions.
Combine the dry ingredients
Add the ground almonds, icing sugar (I used powdered Erythritol), cinnamon, and cardamom to a food processor and blend for a couple of seconds. If you don't have a food processor, simply add the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and stir with a spoon.
Add the wet ingredients & mix
Now add the orange juice and orange zest and mix again until the dough is crumbly and sticks together when you press it between your fingers. If it's too dry, add a little more orange juice.
Form & chill the dough
Remove the dough from the food processor and shape it into a ball. Wrap it in cling foil and chill in the fridge for about 30-60 minutes.
Place the chilled dough between 2 layers of plastic wrap (or wax/parchment paper) and roll it out with a rolling pin. It should be about 0.5-0.7 cm thick (1/4 inch).
Cut & bake the cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. You can dip your cutter in a bowl of powdered sugar between cutting the cookies. This will help prevent the dough from sticking to the cutter.
Depending on the size of your cookie cutter the recipe will make 30-40 cookies. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven for 8 minutes. Depending on the thickness of your cookies, the baking time may vary by 1-2 minutes. Let them cool completely.
Glaze the cookies
Meanwhile, make the glaze by mixing icing sugar (or powdered Erythritol) and water in a small bowl until it's a creamy paste. If it's too thick add a little more water and if it's too thin add more icing sugar.
Brush the glaze on the cooled cookies and let it dry. Enjoy! Store cookies in a cookie tin in a cool place for up to 2-3 weeks.
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
I recommend using a kitchen scale and measuring the ingredients in grams.
If you find the dough too sticky, add a little extra almond meal/ powdered sugar.
Icing sugar: You can use powdered Erythritol for a keto/ low-carb version.
Almond meal: You can replace half of the amount with ground hazelnuts or your favorite ground nuts.
Orange: I really love the flavor of fresh orange juice and zest. Alternatively, you could use lemon instead.