Our version of Zimtsterne - (Cinnamon Star Biscuits) are a traditional Christmas biscuit in Germany. Made with ground almonds and orange zest, these are perfect dipped in coffee or an apricot brandy.

Ingredients:

2 small egg whites

200g icing sugar plus extra for rolling

260g ground almonds

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Zest of half an orange (optional)

Heat the oven to 150C/140 fan/300F/gas 2.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until they form soft peaks. Sieve in the icing sugar and continue whisking until peaks are formed again. Set aside about a quarter of the meringue mixture for glazing later.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and combine well with a wooden spoon. The mixture will be slightly sticky. If it’s too sticky to work with, add extra icing sugar and ground almonds until it’s manageable.

Place the dough on baking paper which has been dusted well with icing sugar. Rolling on baking paper with a little plain flour also helps prevent sticking.

Gently roll out the dough to a thickness of about 0.5cm.

Dust the top of the dough with icing sugar before cutting out star shapes. Dip the cutter into icing sugar to prevent the dough from sticking.

Place the stars on the lined baking sheet.

Use the reserved meringue to glaze the tops of the stars with a paintbrush or the back of a small spoon. Add a little water if it needs loosening up.

You only need a thin layer of meringue otherwise it will blister up instead of forming a smooth surface.

Bake for about 10-15 mins, making sure the tops don’t turn brown - keep checking them!

Once cooled the biscuits can be stored for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.