Zimtsterne – Germany

Zimtstern or cinnamon star cookie is a Christmas cookie made from beaten egg, white foam, sugar, almonds, cinnamon, and flour. The cookie can be traced to Swabia in Southwest Germany and is a staple confection in Germany and Switzerland today. We can totally understand why this cookie is so popular not just during the Christmas season.

Unlike popular opinion, cinnamon stars are not traditionally connected with Christmas and date back to the 16th century, even though most of its variations first arose in the 19th century to decorate the Christmas tree. When visiting Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio in 1536, it is said that the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V was given “excellent” cinnamon stars in the era when cinnamon was expensive.