Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (do not turn on the fan, it can cause the egg white topping to brown before the cookies are done). Place the rack on the bottom rung of the oven.
2
Beat the egg whites in a medium-sized bowl until stiff peaks form. Stir in the powdered sugar until combined. Reserve 2 generous, heaping tablespoons of the egg white mixture for the glaze.
3
Add the nuts, cinnamon, vanilla sugar and salt and beat until the dough comes together in a fairly stiff but pliable mass. If it''s too soft to work with add a few more ground nuts and powdered sugar.
4
Press/roll the dough onto a non-stick surface sprinkled with powdered sugar to a width of about ⅓ inch. Use a 3-inch star cookie cutter to cut out the cookies and transfer them to a lined or non-stick cookie sheet. Form the scraps of dough into a ball, roll it out again and cut cookies out of the remaining dough.
5
Use a pastry brush to brush on the reserved egg white mixture in a thin layer reserving enough for all of the cookies and extending the glaze out to the edges of the cookies.
6
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely.
7
The cookies can be stored in a dry, airtight container in a cool place for at least 2 weeks.
