What is blanched almond flour?

Blanched almond flour has a finer texture and lighter color than natural or unblanched almond flour. Find it at most grocery stores or online at target.com .

What is Saigon cinnamon?

Saigon cinnamon, also known as Royal or Vietnamese cinnamon, has an intense sweetness and spicy flavor. It’s peppery, bold, and intensely fragrant. It complements both sweet pastries and savory meat- or tomato-based dishes.

Zimtsterne (German Cinnamon Star Cookies)

Active Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 5 mins

Yield:

about 20 cookies

These five-ingredient cookies, popular in Germany around Christmas, have a soft, chewy texture and crunchy meringue topping. The cookies are made with naturally gluten-free almond flour, and the same whipped egg white mixture that is stirred into the dough is also brushed on top of the stars. Bake the cookies in the lower third of the oven at a low temperature so that the snow-white meringue topping slowly dries and crisps without browning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is blanched almond flour?

Blanched almond flour has a finer texture and lighter color than natural or unblanched almond flour. Find it at most grocery stores or online at target.com.
What is Saigon cinnamon?

Saigon cinnamon, also known as Royal or Vietnamese cinnamon, has an intense sweetness and spicy flavor. It’s peppery, bold, and intensely fragrant. It complements both sweet pastries and savory meat- or tomato-based dishes.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Be careful not to overbeat the meringue. It should not be stiff enough to hold its shape or any type of peak — when you lift the whisk, the mixture should flow off the whisk and fall back into the bowl easily, but not be runny. The consistency should be similar to the royal icing you would use for outlining cookies, not for flooding.

Frosting the tops with the meringue can feel rather tedious, but take your time to make it neat — the meringue doesn’t spread or change at all in the oven — if it looks lumpy or uneven before baking, it will remain that way after baking.

Make ahead

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

3 cups blanched almond flour (about 10 1/2 ounces) (such as Bob’s Red Mill)
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (such as Saigon)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, plus more for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 250°F with rack in the lower third position. Whisk together almond flour, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Beat egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until well combined. Continue beating on medium-high speed until meringue is thick and creamy but still flows slowly off the whisk when lifted, about 2 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup meringue to a small bowl; set aside. Add almond flour mixture to remaining meringue in bowl; stir vigorously with a rubber spatula until well combined and a thick dough forms. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a clean work surface generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. Sprinkle top of dough with powdered sugar, and roll into a 1/3-inch-thick slab, dusting with additional powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking. Cut out cookies using a 3-inch star cookie cutter dusted with powdered sugar; transfer cookies to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet, spacing at least 1/2 inch apart. Continue rerolling and cutting cookies until all dough is used.
Brush tops of cookies with reserved 1/2 cup meringue using a food-safe paintbrush. Alternatively, transfer meringue to a piping bag; cut a 1/4-inch hole in the corner of the bag. Pipe meringue onto each cookie, using a toothpick to smooth and spread meringue to the edges. Discard any remaining meringue.
Bake cookies in preheated oven until meringue topping is set but not browned, about 20 minutes. Turn oven off. Crack open oven door; let cookies cool in oven 20 minutes. Remove cookies from oven, and let cool completely on a baking sheet, about 30 minutes.