Whip the egg whites till they form peaks

Gradually add the sugar into the stiff egg whites.

Remove a good half cup of the mixture and reserve to a bowl.
This will be the topping that you brush onto the cookie.

Add the ground almonds, lemon zest, cinnamon and blend.

Form into a dough.

 

 

 

Sift some flour and sugar onto the work table.

Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.

First loosen the dough if it is stuck to the board and
put onto a freshly sifted area to prevent sticking.

Cut out stars with a star cookie cutter.

 

Brush stars with the egg white mixture. this can take
a bit of practice to get right. Lift the stars carefully
onto a sprayed cookie sheet or lined with parchment
or a silpat.

Decorate the tops with sliced almonds and a piece of marachino cherry if
you want.

Clean up the meringue from the sides of the cookies with a knife.

Bake stars at 325 degrees till they are lightly browned on top, about 20 minutes.