Wuselig Recipes · Recipe 69
VegetarianFlauschi’s Cinnamon Stars
Chill almond dough with cinnamon and egg white, then cut stars. Spread a thin white egg coating on top and bake at a low temperature.
The little story
The Star in a Snow Coat
Flauschi and Puschel sat beside a cold tray of cinnamon stars. A small bowl held the white egg mixture. They must not taste it, because it still needed baking.
Flauschi„Each star gets just a thin white coat.“
Puschel„Mine gets a snow coat!“
A slightly too-thick blob stayed in his star’s middle. Puschel looked proud. Flauschi tilted her head and smiled.
Flauschi„A coat is good. But the star’s points still want to peek out.“
Puschel„True. Otherwise the star will not know which way to shine.“
Using a blunt knife, they spread the mixture more thinly. Now all the points showed again. After washing their hands, they waited for the adult at the oven.
The stars baked at a low temperature. Their white coats stayed pale. Only once they had cooled completely did the two share a star.
Puschel„It kept its points!“
Flauschi„And it is lovely and soft inside.“
Puschel placed the next star on the plate. Each only needed a thin snow coat. Luckily, they did not have to snow in the entire kitchen.
Active preparation: about 45 minutes · 60 minutes chilling · Baking in total: about 75 minutes · About 25 minutes cooling after the last batch · Total: about 210 minutes. About 3 batches on a standard tray (about 30 × 40 cm), baked one at a time. Times and yield are estimates. Allow longer for a smaller tray, extra chilling or slow-setting icing.
Makes about 50–60 small cinnamon stars
How to make it
In a few words: Chill almond dough with cinnamon and egg white, then cut stars. Spread a thin white egg coating on top and bake at a low temperature.
Ingredients
- Dough: 300 g finely ground skin-on almonds
- 150 g icing sugar
- 8 g vanilla sugar
- 1 level tsp cinnamon
- 2 medium egg whites (about 60 g in total)
- White coating: 1 medium egg white (about 30 g)
- 100 g icing sugar
- About 1 tbsp icing sugar for rolling and the cutter
Method
- Wash hands, weigh ingredients and line two trays with baking paper. Adults handle mixers, sharp tools, the oven and hot trays. Do not taste raw dough.
- An adult separates the eggs. Save yolks for another fully cooked dish. Mix almonds, 150 g icing sugar, vanilla sugar and cinnamon. Briefly knead in 2 egg whites until the slightly sticky dough holds together. Cover and chill for 60 minutes.
- For the white coating, whisk 1 egg white stiff in a clean, grease-free bowl. Gradually mix in 100 g sifted icing sugar until thick and glossy. Keep covered in the fridge. Do not taste: this coating contains raw egg and will be baked with the stars.
- An adult preheats to 140 °C conventional or 120 °C fan. Roll dough between baking paper, using a little icing sugar if needed, to 5–6 mm thick. Cut stars about 4.5 cm across; dip the cutter in icing sugar occasionally. Place 2 cm apart on cold trays.
- Before baking, spread a thin, even coat of the egg-white mixture on the stars. Do not pile it up. Do not eat any leftover mixture raw.
- Bake trays one at a time in the lower third for 20–25 minutes each. The white coating should be dry and set, but remain as pale as possible. The underside is still a little soft when removed; do not touch the hot tray with bare fingers. Once cool, the centre should be soft, not raw and sticky. Allow about 3 batches. Keep remaining dough and the next tray covered in the fridge. Let a used tray cool completely before placing more dough on it.
- An adult removes the tray with oven gloves. Leave biscuits on the tray for 5 minutes to firm up, then carefully move to a rack and cool completely for about another 20 minutes. Eat only once cool.
Keeping your biscuits
Once completely cool, keep in a dry, tightly closing tin. Best eaten within 2 weeks. Do not pack while warm.