Zimtsterne
My first experience making Swiss cookies was less than optimal. A friend had given me his mother’s recipe for Basler leckerle, a spiced almond cookie swathed with a kirsch glaze. They’re meant to be kept in a tin for 6 months before eating, during which time they supposedly soften up and become toothsome delights. To make a six-month story short, I was skeptical when I plucked one of the cookies out of the tin. Then I bit down and almost lost a tooth they were so hard. Since then, I’ve avoided Swiss cookies. But, some time later, at Stohrer bakery on the rue Montorgeuil in Paris, I tasted the lovely zimtsterne, star-shaped cinnamon-almond cookies of Swiss origin that are made only around the holidays, and fell in love. I was prompted to come up with a recipe that I could have year-round—as well as one that wouldn’t require a trip to the dentist. I couldn’t find a cookie cutter in the traditional zimtsterne shape of a six-point star in France where I live, so a friend brought me one from New York, which I guess makes this Swiss cookie a star of international proportions.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 25 cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
Glaze
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Step 2
To make the cookies, in a food processor fitted with a metal blade or in a blender, pulverize the almonds, 1 cup (140 g) powdered sugar, the cinnamon, and salt until the almonds are very finely ground. If using a food processor, add the honey and egg white and process until the mixture is smooth. If it’s dry and cracking, add a tiny bit of water and process until the dough comes together. If using a blender, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the honey and egg white and stir until the dough begins to come together, then knead by hand until smooth.
Step 3
Dust a work surface with powdered sugar and roll out the dough 1/3 inch (8 mm) thick (no thinner), dusting the work surface with just enough powdered sugar to keep the dough from sticking. With a 6-point star cookie cutter about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter (see Tip), cut out stars, and arrange them, evenly spaced, on the prepared baking sheet. Reroll the dough scraps, cut out as many cookies as you can, and place them on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used.
Step 4
Bake, rotating the baking sheet midway during baking, until the cookies are very lightly browned, about 12 minutes. They should be soft; don’t overbake them. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.
Step 5
To make the glaze, in a small bowl, mix together the 1 1/3 cups (175 g) powdered sugar and the egg white until smooth, then mix in the kirsch. The glaze should be quite thick, opaque, and almost hard to stir. If necessary, stir in additional powdered sugar.
Step 6
Spread glaze on the surface of each cookie. Sweep off some of the excess, but leave a layer just thick enough so that you can’t see the cookie through it. Let the cookies rest until the glaze is completely dry.
Storage
Step 7
These cookies will keep for at least 3 months in an airtight container.
tip
Step 8
The 6-point star shape is traditional to zimtsterne, but you can use any similar-size cookie cutter.
