Recipes

[traveler]

My favorites but so work intensive.

6 egg whites
3-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon lemon rind
1 pound unblanched almonds, ground
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat egg whites very stiff; slow add sugar and lemon rind. Reserve 1/3 cup of the mixture for top of cookies. Add almonds and cinnamon. Chill. Roll 1/4 inch thick on surface covered with confectioners' sugar; cut with star shaped cutter. Top each one with some of the reserved egg white mixture. Bake at 325º until light brown, about 10-15 minutes.

Makes 3-1/2 to 4 dozen cookies.

[Vamp]

Never heard of them. They sound interesting, but sadly, I don't make any desserts with nuts due to my son's nut allergy

[Campion]

Zimtsterne--they are labor-intensive. I don't make them anymore because I developed an allergy to nuts. But they are one of my favorite Christmas cookies.

I also like Baseler Leckerli which are another almond-meal based cookie. Can't have those anymore either.

• 450 g honey (16 ounces)
• 300 g sugar (10.5 ounces)
• 1½ tablespoons of cinnamon
• 1 pinch of clove powder
• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
• 100 g (3.5 ounces) ground candied orange peel
• 100 g (3.5 ounces) ground candied lemon peel
• 200 g (7 ounces) ground almonds
• Grind skin of one lemon
• 1 dl (0.4 cup) of kirsch
• 600g (21 ounces) flour
• 1½ teaspoon of baking powder
• 150 g (5 ounces) confectioner's sugar
• 3 to 5 tablespoons of kirsch or water

1. Put honey, sugar, cinnamon, clove powder and nut meg in a pan, heat up slowly, then remove from stove.
2. Add candied orange peel, candied lemon peel, almonds and grind skin of lemon, stir until mixed evenly.
3. Add kirsch, flour and baking powder, knead on a table to form a soft dough.
4. While the dough is still warm, roll it out on the back of two greased baking sheets approximately 5 mm (0.2 inches) thick.
5. Let it rest for about 5 to 6 hours or over night in a dry place.
6. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes in the center of the pre-heated oven at 220 °C (430 °F).
7. Mix confectioner's sugar and kirsch or water, frost dough immediately.
8. Cut off stale edges. Cut dough in small pieces (5 x 3 cm, 2 x 1.5 inches), take them off the baking sheets and let them cool.

[Campion]

I read you can substitute more peel for the almonds in the Baseler Leckerli. The name means "tasty morsel from Basel, Switzerland." They are an ancient spice bread/cookie recipe. The Zimtsterne mean "cinnamon stars." The feature is a meringue icing that is crunchy and very good over the soft nut cookie base.