Zimtstern Star Cookies with Nutella®
A classic German “plätzchen” Christmas cookie
Zimtstern means “cinnamon star” in German, and these star-shaped biscuits are commonly known as “Weihnachtsgebäck” (Christmas cookies). Spend some time baking this traditional German delight with your family and enjoy the holidays together!
INGREDIENTS for 24 cookies
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2 egg whites
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1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
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2 2/3 cups ground hazelnuts
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1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
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1/2 cup Nutella® hazelnut spread
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1 tsp of lemon juice
HOW TO MAKE ZIMTSTERN CHRISTMAS STAR COOKIES
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STEP 1Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F) and position the baking rack in the middle of the oven.
Whisk the egg whites with the sugar until soft peaks form into a meringue texture.
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STEP 2
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the meringue into a small bowl for the icing, and gently fold the cinnamon and the ground hazelnuts with the rest of the meringue until it just comes together.
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STEP 3
Roll the dough in between 2 sheets of baking paper to a 4 mm thickness and cut out biscuits using a star cookie cutter. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the biscuits at least 1 inch apart. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out a small hole in the middle of half of the biscuits. Mix the remaining meringue with the lemon juice and spread onto the top biscuits with a teaspoon.
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STEP 4
Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool down completely on the baking tray.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle (about 2 mm) with Nutella®, and pipe about 4g (1 tsp) of Nutella® on each of the bottom biscuits (the ones with no hole) and cover with the top biscuits (the ones with hole).
