Cinnamon stars are popular classic German Christmas cookies. They are rolled and cut into star the shape of star. Light and crisp, they have a fabulous balance of nuts and cinnamon. So, don't miss the chance to relish these cookies and try baking it yourself. I wish you a warm and happy Holiday!

• 3 Egg whites, medium
  
• 250 g Confectioners' sugar plus more for rolling
  
• 1 package / 8 g Vanilla sugar
  
• 380 g Almonds, finely ground
  
• 1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
  
• 3 drop Almond extract

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift the confectioners' sugar. Blend together the ground hazelnuts and cinnamon. Whip the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until they hold soft peaks, about 1 minute. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar while whipping, until the whites are stiff and glossy. Reserve 3 tablespoons of this meringue for topping the cookies. Fold the nut mixture into the remaining meringue to make a stiff dough. Cover the dough and let it rest in the fridge for about an hour.
   
2. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the work surface and lightly dust with confectioners' sugar. Turn the dough out onto the dusted paper, and then top with a piece of cling film. Roll the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Remove the cling film.
   
3. Using a star form cookie cutter, cut out stars in the dough. To avoid the dough sticking to the form run the cookie cutter under cold water and then shake off any excess water. Transfer the cinnamon stars to the prepared tray using a metal spatula. Frost each cookie with the reserved meringue. If desired, decorate the cookies with almonds. Leave the cookies to dry out overnight.
   
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 150C/300F and bake for about 10 minutes. Try to remove the cookies before the icing turns brown, although a little brown tint can look nice. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

Nougat is a type of confection made from sugar, honey, and nuts. It is popular throughout Europe. The word “nougat” is French, and it comes from the Latin nux, for “nut.” The two primary variations of nougat are white nougat and brown nougat. White nougat is made with egg whites, so it is lighter, softer, and chewier in texture. Brown nougat is made with caramelized sugar, and tends to be harder and darker in color.

1. >Bring the whipping cream in a small pot to a boil over low heat. Chop the couverture into the smaller chunks and stir into the whipping cream until melted. Turn off the heat and transfer the mixture in a mixing bowl. Add in nut nougat, butter and peanut butter.
   
   
2. Set it in a bowl of cold water and whip the mixture until fluffy and cold. Scrape the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe into the paper praline forms. Sprinkle the tops with preferred nuts. Cool the praline until set.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

This sweet treat with coconut aroma has a soft pudding-like center and crunchy shell.

1. Combine together 250ml milk, coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and salt in a pot. Set the pot over medium low heat. Don’t bring it to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in 50 ml of milk and slowly stir it into heated milk until the mixture is thick and smooth. Spread evenly in a rectangle dish and smooth the surface. Refrigerate until firm.
2. To prepare the coating by mixing flour, cornstarch and baking powder in a bowl. Add in lemon juice, oil and enough water to make a thick mixture. Cut the milk custard into the smaller slices, using wet knife. Heat some oil to 175C/350F. Coat the custard with the prepared mixture and fry until light brown and crunchy. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with sweetened condensed milk.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com