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Filled Cinnamon Stars with Plum Jam and Dark Chocolate Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 134 reviews

Delightfully spiced filled cinnamon stars without nuts, made with a simple cinnamon and cocoa shortcrust pastry, filled with sweet plum jam and topped with rich dark chocolate. These German-style Christmas cookies offer a nut-free alternative to classic cinnamon stars, perfect for holiday celebrations and cookie exchanges.

Ingredients

Scale

For the cinnamon shortcrust pastry

  • 250 g flour
  • 150 g sugar
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 120 g butter
  • 1 egg

For filling and decoration

  • approx. 100 g plum jam
  • 200 g dark chocolate
  • ½ tsp coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Dough: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, cocoa, and baking powder. Add the butter and egg, and quickly knead the ingredients together until a smooth shortcrust pastry forms. If the dough feels too soft to roll out, chill it briefly in the refrigerator to firm up.
  2. Preheat Oven and Prepare Tray: Preheat your oven to 180 °C (fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper to prevent sticking.
  3. Roll Out and Cut Stars: Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out the dough evenly. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out stars. For half of them, cut out the center with a smaller star cutter to create lids for the filled cookies.
  4. Bake the Cookies: Arrange the cookie stars on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for approximately 10–12 minutes, keeping an eye on them to prevent over-browning. The cookies should be firm but not too dark. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
  5. Melt Chocolate for Decoration: Gently melt the dark chocolate with the coconut oil over a water bath or carefully in the microwave. Stir until smooth and glossy.
  6. Decorate Cookie Lids: Using a spoon or a piping bag made from a small freezer bag with a tiny corner cut off, drizzle or pipe the melted chocolate over the star-shaped lids as desired. Allow the chocolate to set.
  7. Assemble the Filled Cookies: Spread a small amount of plum jam onto each whole star cookie. Top with a chocolate-decorated star lid. Warm any remaining plum jam slightly to make it easier to spread, then carefully place a bit of plum jam in the center of the cookies to fill the cut-out star shape.
  8. Final Touch and Storage: Allow the filled cinnamon stars to dry and the flavors to meld. Store them in a cookie tin to keep fresh and enjoy during the holiday season.

Notes

  • If the dough gets too warm or sticky, refrigerate it to make rolling easier.
  • You can substitute plum jam with other fruit preserves like apricot or raspberry for different flavor variations.
  • For a glossy chocolate finish, temper the dark chocolate before decorating.
  • These cookies should be stored in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
  • Be careful not to overbake the cookies to keep them tender.

Keywords: filled cinnamon stars, cinnamon stars without nuts, German Christmas cookies, plum jam cookies, nut-free holiday cookies

Find it online: https://foodbylina.com/filled-cinnamon-stars-with-plum-jam-and-dark-chocolate-recipe/