Heavenly Cinnamon Stars From The Vanilla Sky Recipes

CINNAMON STARS

Steps:

• Stir together the almonds, cinnamon, and lemon zest until combined.
• Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Slowly sift in the confectioner's sugar, continuing to beat until the mixture is stiff. Set aside 1/3 cup of the egg white mixture for the glaze. Fold in the almond mixture.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C). Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a surface that has been sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. Using a 2 1/2-inch star cookie cutter, cut out the cookies and place them on the cookie sheets.
• To make the glaze, add the lemon juice to the reserved egg white mixture, stirring until smooth. Brush the tops of the cookies lightly with the glaze. (If the glaze starts to thicken, add a few more drops of lemon juice.)
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. When done, they will be light brown and soft in the center. Remove and cool on wire racks.

CINNAMON STARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the almonds and cinnamon. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar while beating until egg whites become thick and glossy. Gently fold egg whites into almond mixture.
• Lightly dust a board with powdered sugar and roll egg white dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Use a cutter dusted with powdered sugar to cut out stars. Using a spatula, carefully lift stars onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F. Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until set through, remove from oven and brush with glaze. Continue baking for 5 more minutes. Transfer to cooling racks to cool.

GERMAN CINNAMON STARS (ZIMTSTERNE)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
• 2. Combine the nuts, cinnamon, and zest. Beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add the salt, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until stiff and glossy, 5 to 8 minutes. Reserve one-third of the meringue (about 1/3 cup) and fold the nut mixture into the remaining meringue.
• 3. Place a large piece of waxed paper on a flat surface and sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar. Place the nut mixture on the sugar, lightly sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, top with a second piece of waxed paper, and roll out 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top piece of waxed paper. Using a cookie cutter dipped in water, cut into 2-inch star shapes or use a sharp knife to cut into diamonds. Reroll and cut any scraps. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• 4. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Spread the reserved meringue over the top of the cookies and bake until the tops are lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool. Zimtsternen taste best if allowed to stand for 24 hours. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

HEAVENLY CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• Stir 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the yeast into the warm water in a small bowl. The water should be no more than 100 degrees F (40 degrees C). Let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam. Whisk together the cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
• Beat together the eggs, applesauce, salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture. Beat in half of the flour mixture until no dry spots remain. Stir in the remaining flour, a 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition to form a sticky dough. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until fairly smooth but still sticky, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, then place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) for 30 minutes. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 16x20 inch rectangle. Spread the honey over the dough; sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar and raisins. Beginning with the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log shape, and pinch to seal the seam. Cut into 12 equal size pieces. Place the rolls into the prepared pan cut side up. Cover the pan with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

CINNAMON STARS (ZIMTSTERNE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Butter one or two large cookie sheets.
• Beat egg whites and as they begin to foam and stiffen, gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until whites form stiff peaks that retain the mark of a knife blade. Set aside half a cup of the whites.
• Sprinkle remaining whites with cinnamon, one and a half cups of almonds and vanilla extract or brandy.
• Stir together gently but thoroughly. Mixture should be thick and fairly solid. Add more almonds if dough is too sticky to be rolled.
• Sprinkle pastry board with sugar and roll out dough to onefourth inch thickness. Cut into star shapes with a small cookie cutter.
• Arrange on buttered baking sheet and brush top of each cookie with a little of the reserved egg whites. Bake in preheated oven about 20 minutes or until golden brown.