- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature.
- 3 ½ cups (390 grams) confectioners' sugar.
- 4 cups (400 grams) almond meal.
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon.
- 1 ounce kirshwasser, optional.
Directions:
1- Beat the egg whites In a large bowl or stand mixer until soft peaks form.
2- Add the confectioners' sugar ½ cup at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Continue beating for 5 minutes after the last addition. The mixture should be very stiff, like the icing used to hold a gingerbread house together.
3- Remove ½ cup of this meringue mixture and set aside for icing.
4- Fold the raw almond meal and cinnamon into the larger portion of meringue. Add the Kirschwasser, if you are using it, and incorporate.
5- Chill the dough for about 1 hour.
6- Using ample confectioners' sugar on your baking board or clean countertop, pat the dough into a square and roll out to ½-inch thick or 1 cm.
7- Cut out stars with a cookie cutter that has been dusted with confectioners' sugar. Dust the cookie cutter between each cut.
8- Place stars on a nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
9- Brush or spread the reserved meringue icing on each star, working it out to all the points.
10- Let the stars dry overnight an oven.
11- The next day, heat the oven to 325 F. Bake each tray for 10 to 15 minutes. This is to dry out the cookies a little more and bake the egg whites. Try to remove the cookies before the icing turns brown.
12- Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and let them cool completely on a wire rack before storing in a covered container in a dry place at room temperature.