Cinnamon Stars
(Makes about 3 dozen 2-inch cookies)

What would the holidays be without stars?  These chewy, nutty delights, laced with cinnamon and a hint of lemon, are a snap to make, and a pleasure to eat. They keep well and go with coffee, tea or milk. Be sure not to over bake them, or they will be hard. 

2-2/3 cups (13 ounces) finely ground almonds
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/3 cup egg white (from 2 or 3 eggs)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted after measuring
1-3/4 teaspoons strained fresh lemon juice
extra confectioners’ sugar for rolling out the dough

Preheat a conventional oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, or a convection oven to 310 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the oven racks so they divide the oven into thirds. Line two baking pans with parchment.

Mix the ground almonds, cinnamon and lemon zest in a bowl and set aside. Beat the egg whites and salt on medium high speed using a whisk attachment if available, for about 1 minute, until they form soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar, continuing to beat until the mixture is smooth and glossy, about 5 minutes. Remove 1/3 cup of the egg white mixture and set it aside to use to glaze the cookies.  Fold in the ground nut mixture until it is evenly mixed. 

Turn the dough out onto a work surface that has been coated with sifted confectioners’ sugar. Dust confectioners’ sugar over the top of the dough, and roll it out to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Do not roll it thinner than this, or the cookies will bake up hard. Place the cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheets.

Mix the reserved egg white mixture with the lemon juice, stirring with a fork until smooth. Brush this mixture on the tops of all of the cookies. If desired, sprinkle the coating with colored sugar, sprinkles or jimmies. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cookies are pale brown on top but are still a little soft when touched lightly with your finger. Rotate the pans halfway through the baking time. When the cookies are done, remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire cooling racks. Store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container.

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