Ingredients:
2 large egg whites
1 3⁄4 cups confectioner’s sugar, extra for dusting
1⁄2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 2⁄3 cups ground almonds
vegetable oil, for greasing
a little milk, if needed

Method:
1 Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff.

2 Sift in the confectioner’s sugar, add the lemon juice, and continue to whisk for 5 more minutes, until thick and glossy. Take out 2 tablespoons of the mixture, cover, and set aside for topping the cookies later.

3 Gently fold the ground almonds and cinnamon into the egg white and sugar mixture.

4 Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. At this stage it will be a thick paste, rather than a dough.

5 Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Dust a work surface with sugar and turn the paste out onto it. Combine the paste with some sugar to form a soft dough. Dust a rolling pin with sugar and roll out to 1⁄4in (5mm) thick.

6 Oil the cutter and non-stick baking sheets. Cut star shapes out of the dough. Lay the cookies on the sheets.

7 Brush a little of the meringue mix over each cookie, mixing it with a little milk, if too thick.

8 Bake in the top third of the oven for 12–15 minutes until the topping has set.

9 Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack.

10 STORE The cookies will keep in an airtight container for 5 days.

Homemade Cinnamon Stars