Cinnamon Stars - German Christmas Cookies

The quintessential Christmas cookie - crisp, spicy cookies make a perfect snack after a day outdoors. Serve them with big pitchers of mulled wine and hot chocolate.

Ingredients:

14 oz. (400g) unpeeled almonds
3 egg whites
2 cups (250g) confectioner's sugar, plus extra for decoration
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 280°F.

Finely chop or grind almonds (food processor works great). Whip the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff. Sift the confectioner's sugar and gradually fold it under the egg whites. Reserve and put aside 2 heaped tablespoons of this mixture. Gently stir the almonds and cinnamon into the egg mixture.

Sprinkle the work surface with confectioner's sugar. Roll out the mixture to about ¼ inch thick. Cut out cookies using a star cutter and place them on a cookie sheet lined with non-stick parchment paper. Dip the cutter into confectioner's sugar from time to time to stop the mixture from sticking to it. Brush each star with a little of the reserved egg mixture.

Bake for about 30 minutes until crisp on the outside.

The cookies should still be a little soft in the center.