Shining Star Cookies Recipes

CHOCOLATE STAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat overn to 375°.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together Crisco, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, water and vanilla until well mixed.
• Add the flour, baking soda & salt to the mixing bowl and mix well.
• Cover and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Place in preheated oven and bake for 9-11 minutes or until light brown.
• As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, place a chocolate star on the top of each cookie.

ZIMTSTERNE (CINNAMON STAR COOKIES)

Steps:

• Mix butter, sugar, 2 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk, and lemon juice until fluffy.
• Stir dry ingredients together; blend into sugar mixture; stir in optional nuts.
• Divide dough into 3 pieces, and roll 1 piece at a time to 1/16 inch thick on lightly floured board; cut with a star cookie cutter.
• Brush the tops of the cookies with the remaining egg white, beaten until frothy.
• Bake cookies on a lighty greased baking sheet 6-8 minutes until golden brown at 375°F.
• Makes 6-9 dozen cookies depending on the size of your cookie cutter.

ZIMTSTERNE (CINNAMON STAR COOKIES)

Steps:

• In a bowl mix dry ingredients for dough.
• Add egg whites and knead until a still sticky dough is formed.
• Wrap into cling film and put into the fridge for at least one hour. I always leave it in the fridge for 2 - 4 hours.
• Near the end of cooling time preaheat oven (170 C) and make meringue glaze.
• For meringue glaze beat egg white with salt until stiff. While still beating add caster sugar by and by to make meringue.
• The meringue should have a consistency that you can spread it with a brush onto the dough later. It should have a more creamy consistency, so that it will stick on the dough and not running down.
• Add just a little milk to get the right consistency. Depending on the egg white you may need about 1 to 3 tablespoons.
• Line out baking trays with parchment paper.
• Get the dough out of the fridge and roll it out between two layers of parchment papers or cling film. The dough sould be a bout 1 cm thick.
• Method ONE for making cinnamon stars (easy way): Using a star cutter cut out the stars and place them on the baking tray. With a brush spread meringue glaze on the cookies.
• Method TWO for making cinnamon stars (tricky way): After you have rolled out the dough spread a thin layer of the meringue glaze on the dough. Now you need a star cutter which can be opened. These are available in Germany. When you can open the cookie cutter you avoid touching the glaze, because the dough has the tendency to stick to the cutter. Put the stars on the tray. Knead the rest of the dough again and add some grounded almonds, so that the dough is not too sticky. Repeat the steps of making the stars.
• Bake the cookies for about 10 - 12 minutes. Watch them carefully, because the meringue should not be browned.
• Take them out and let cool completely. Store them in airtight container. The cookies get better and better, because the flavours blended over time, but I you have to find a good hidout.
• NOTE on egg size: egg size is important here, because it determines the stickyness. My recipe is based on an egg size of 54 - 63 g per egg.
• Custom yield is a guess.
• Time to make does NOT include cooling time.