Crisp melt in the mouth cinnamon cookies with a delicious crunchy meringue icing. These cinnamon star cookies are perfect for Christmas.
I often make a batch of these delicious cinnamon cookies at Christmas time. They are quick and easy to make but always prove really popular with friends and family.
Traditional Christmas biscuits
Cinnamon biscuits in various forms are traditional at Christmas times in many parts of Europe. These biscuits are lifted above ordinary with the addition of a thin layer of sweet crunchy icing.
The icing is made from a mixture of icing sugar and beaten egg white which is brushed onto the part baked cookies before they are returned to the oven to finish baking.
The cookies need no other decoration so are really quick and easy to make. In past years I have made these with holes in one of the points of the stars and hung them with ribbon on the Christmas tree where they looked rather fabulous.
Perfect foodie gift
The cookies keep well so can be made ahead of time. I like to make lots of small stars that are just one or two bites big. Perfect to serve with after dinner coffee, party nibbles or packed into boxes and given as gifts.
Pile into a box with some tissue to help prevent them from breaking and tie the box with a pretty ribbon.
But the cookies work just as well as a more substantial biscuit to serve with a cuppa. You could also serve them as a biscuit to accompany a creamy dessert.
And of course you can make them any shape you want but somehow I think the shimmery finish of the icing is perfect for stars.
Step by Step Cinnamon Star Cookies
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Stars
Equipment
- baking sheet
- baking sheet liner
- star cookie cutter
- Rolling Pin
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 200 g (7oz) plain flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 100 g (3½oz) butter
- 75 g (3oz) golden caster sugar
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 large egg white
- 75 g (3oz) icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan)/350°F/gas mark 4. Lightly grease or line two baking sheets.
- Sift 200g (7oz) plain flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder and 2 teaspoon cinnamon into a mixing bowl. Rub in 100g (3½oz) butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in 75g (3oz) caster sugar then mix to a soft dough with one beaten egg.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into stars, using a biscuit cutter and place on the baking sheets.
- Make a hole in the top of each biscuit, with a skewer, if you want to be able to hang the biscuits on the tree.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile beat together one egg white and 75g (3oz) icing sugar. Brush over the tops of the biscuit and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Thread with ribbon if desired.
Notes
Servings
The number of cookies will depend on the size and shape of the cookie cutter. Expect to get between larger 20 to 25 cookies or about 50 small star shaped cookies from one batch of dough.Store
In an airtight conatiner in a cool place for up to 2 weeks.No time to make it now - Pin for later
Adriana says
Fantastic recipe! So easy to do as well. Baked some tree shaped cookies with my 8yo daughter to give to her friends for Christmas.
Swapped 1.5 cups of flour for a wholemeal one to make them a bit healthier and added 1/2 tsp of cardamom. The icing gives them a lovely traditional look and is solid enough to decorate over with edible pens. Thanks for the recipe Jaqueline! Have a wonderful Christmas.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
So pleased you liked them. Have a wonderful Christmas yourself.
Sharon Baskin says
I am making these for Christmas gifts and an unsure what Golden Caster Sugar is in the US? Is it Sugar in the Raw? or Golden Domino's Sugar? Kindly Advise, Sharon Baskin
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Hi Sharon, Apologies for the delay in replying unfortunately I found your comment hiding in my spam folder. Golden caster sugar is cane sugar that is similar to regular caster sugar made from sugar cane as opposed to sugar beet which is very common in the UK. It is less processed retaining some of cane mollases. It therefor has a pale golden colour rather than pure white hence the name. It comes down to personal preference to which you use,I like to use it because it is less tampered with than white sugar I also prefer the taste (which is very subtly different) and it contains a few trace minerals which cant be a bad thing. Having Googled Golden Dominos's sugar yes it is basically the same although I only found reference to granulated sugar which has slightly larger crystals than caster sugar.
louise Gunstone says
I love cinnamon and these look super cute so on the list they go for Xmas. Thanks.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Enjoy! and I would love to see a picture of your bake on social media tag me @recipecrumbs on Twitter or @onlycrumbsremain on Instagram. (or send me one by email and I will share) I've just finished making another batch myself.
Afsheen says
Could you please tell me what you mean by 'rub in butter' .. can I use an electric beater to mix butter and flour?
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Rubbing in the butter is the term used for rubbing the butter between your finger tips so that it mixes into the flour I find this best done by hand.
Balvinder says
Wow I am so loving these cookies. Simple and best!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you.
Michelle Rolfe says
Now these are exactly up my street! In fact they are getting added to this weekends baking list as its high time I did some Christmas baking! Michelle x
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
They look so tasty and would be fab Christmas gifts!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
and indeed some of my friends will be getting them as gifts again this year.
Rosemary says
These look beautiful. I love star-shaped food - it always looks special and ready for a celebration!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thanks Rosemary, I agree stars do make you think of celebrations.
Cat | Curly's Cooking says
These look so cute and festive! I really like the glaze on them that gives them a shimmer. They'd make a great gift too.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thanks Cat. Yes, I make them quite a bit for gifts as they keep so well.