CINNAMON
STARS |
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Recipe |
Put 1/2 cup of the sifted
confectioners' sugar, 10 ounces (3 heaping cups) of the
almonds and all the cinnamon in a food processor. Process
until the nuts are finely ground, with just a few larger
pieces.
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2
1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling
(Sifted) |
15
ounces sliced almonds, with skin (about 4 1/2 cups) |
1
1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon |
3
large egg whites, room temperature |
2
teaspoons finely grated lemon zest |
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Whip the egg whites in a large,
clean bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until they
hold soft peaks, about 1 minute. Gradually add the remaining
confectioners' sugar while whipping, until the whites are
thick, creamy and somewhat stiff, about 2 minutes more. Set
aside 2/3 cup of this meringue for topping the cookies. |
Fold the ground almond mixture
and the lemon zest into the remaining meringue to make a stiff
dough. |
confectioners' sugar. Turn the
dough out onto the dusted paper, flatten and dust with more
sugar as needed, and then lay another sheet of parchment or
waxed paper on top. Roll the dough between the papers until it
is about 1/4-inch thick. Flip the dough over and gently peel
off a sheet of the paper. For ease when cutting, lay the paper
back on the dough, flip again and gently pull off the other
side of the paper so that the dough is fully released from it. |
Cut cookies with a 3-inch star
cutter and place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking
sheets. (Excess dough can be rerolled.) Use a small spoon,
brush or offset spatula to spread the reserved meringue over
the top of each cookie, taking care not to let the meringue
drip over the sides. Press or sprinkle remaining sliced
almonds in a decorative pattern into the meringue.
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Bake cookies until bottoms are
light golden brown and meringue is set and crisp, about 30
minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door to release
heat and dry cookies out in the oven for 10 more minutes.
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