Discover the joy of baking with our vegan Zimtsterne recipe! These German cinnamon star cookies are a gluten-free delight, perfect for the holiday season. Learn how to make one of the most loved German Christmas cookies with simple ingredients and easy steps.
In a large bowl, mix ground almonds, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add water and lemon juice and mix into a slightly sticky dough using a stand mixer or hand mixer.
Transfer the dough on a well-floured surface and roll out to about 0.4 inches (1 cm) thickness using a rolling pin. → If the dough is too sticky, work in a bit more flour.
Cut out stars using star-shaped cookie cutters, then transfer on a with parchment paper lined baking sheet. → Knead together dough scraps, roll and cut out again. Repeat until you have no dough left.
Bake for about 8 minutes in a preheated oven. → They're done once the tips start to turn brownish.
Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven. They are good as soon as the tips start to turn brownish.
Remove from the oven, let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.
Icing
Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water in a small bowl.
Glaze each cookie with the icing, then let the icing dry for at least an hour before storing.
Notes
Ground Almonds: For the typical color, unpeeled almonds are used. You can buy them already ground or briefly pulse whole almonds in a mixer. It's okay if there are a few larger almond pieces; these add a crunchy touch to the cinnamon stars. Thanks to the almonds, this recipe doesn't require flour, making it perfect for gluten-free Christmas cookies.Do you like it sweet? Then roll out the dough on white granulated sugar instead of flour!Storage: Stored in a cookie jar at room temperature, they stay fresh for several weeks.