Traditional cinnamon stars "Zimtsterne"

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, plus extra for rolling (*Use 1/2 cup with almonds and 1 3/4 cups with egg whites)
• 425 g slivered almonds with skins (about 4.5 cups)
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 egg whites from category CO eggs at room temperature
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

Preparation:

1. Sift the powdered sugar.
   
   Place 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar, 285g (3 heaping cups) almonds, and all the cinnamon in a food processor. Process until the nuts are finely chopped, leaving a few larger pieces.
2. In a large, clean bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the remaining powdered sugar until the whites are thick, creamy, and stiff, about 2 minutes more. Set aside 2/3 cup of this mixture for the glaze.
3. Add the ground almond mixture and lemon zest to the remaining egg whites and knead into a stiff dough.
   
   Preheat oven to 120°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
   
   Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and dust it with a little powdered sugar. Place the dough on the parchment paper, flatten it, and dust with more powdered sugar if needed. Then place another sheet of parchment paper on top. Roll the dough between the sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of about 0.5 cm.
   
   Flip the dough over and carefully peel off the sheet of paper. For easier cutting, place the paper back on the dough, flip it over again, and carefully peel off another sheet of paper until the dough comes completely free.
4. Using an 8-cm star cutter, cut out the cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 5 cm apart. (The dough scraps can be re-rolled.) Using a small spoon, pastry brush, or offset spatula, spread the remaining egg whites over the top of each cookie, being careful not to let them go over the edges. Press or sprinkle the remaining slivered almonds into the cookies.
5. Bake the cookies until the bottoms are light golden brown and the whites are set and crisp, about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door to let out the heat, and bake for another 10 minutes.
   
   Advice for the busy cookThe dough can be frozen between sheets of parchment paper for up to 2 weeks. Store the finished cookies in an airtight container for up to 10 days.