These cinnamon stars make fab tasty Christmas treats or even decorations to be hung on the tree (if they’re not all gobbled up!)
You’ll need:
- 2 medium egg whites
- 175g (7oz) icing sugar
- 250g (8oz) ground almonds
- 1 level tsp cinnamon
- 2-3 tsp lemon juice
- 2.5cm (1in) star cutter
- Baking sheets lined with baking parchment
How to:
- Whisk the egg whites until stiff and then whisk in the icing sugar until the mixture is a dropping
consistency. Take out half of the mixture for icing and place it in a small bowl and cover the bowl with a damp cloth to prevent the mixture from drying out and the top crusting over. - Mix the ground almonds and cinnamon into the egg white mixture and enough lemon juice to give a smooth paste. Form the mixture into a bowl and wrap it in a plastic bag and chill it in the fridge for 30 mins-1 hr, or until it is firm enough to roll out.
- Set the oven to a fairly hot gas mark 6 or 200°C. Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of baking parchment until it is about 5mm (¼ in) thick. Use the cutter to cut out star shapes and then place the stars on the lined baking sheet. Re-roll the trimmings until all the dough is used.
*If making into decorations, remember to pierce a hole to hang the string with, using a chopstick or pencil end before baking in the oven.
- Bake the stars in the centre of the oven for about 7-10 mins, or until the biscuits start to turn golden, then remove them from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to very cool 110°C (gas mark ¼)
- Use a pastry brush to brush the reserved icing over the star biscuits, then return the biscuits to the oven for a further 15-20 mins, until the icing has set but not coloured. Remove the biscuits from the oven and leave them to cool for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and leave them to cool completely. The biscuits may be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, but are not suitable for freezing.
