MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH:
In large bowl, whisk together almond flour, powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom (if using), salt, and lemon zest until well combined with no lumps.

In separate clean, grease-free bowl, whip room temperature egg whites with almond extract using electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. Don't overbeat - whites should be foamy and hold shape but not be stiff and dry like meringue.

Gently fold whipped egg whites into almond flour mixture using large spatula, folding just until combined. Dough will be sticky, thick, and somewhat paste-like in consistency.

Fold in finely chopped, patted-dry glacé cherries until evenly distributed. Freya's British twist: Cherries add cherry bakewell flavor profile that Paul praised as making whole thing lighter through their acidity.

Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Chilling is critical for easier handling, preventing excessive spreading, and achieving proper final texture.

ROLL AND CUT THE COOKIES:
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Generously dust clean work surface with powdered sugar, not flour - this is flourless cookie made entirely from almonds. Turn out chilled dough onto sugared surface.

Dust top of dough generously with more powdered sugar. Using rolling pin, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness, dusting with more sugar as needed to prevent sticking. Important: Don't roll too thin - Mary noted cookies were so tough, offering me out for a fight. Thicker cookies (1/4-inch) bake to proper texture with crisp outside and slight give inside when fresh.

Cut out stars using 2.5 to 3-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, dipping cutter in powdered sugar between cuts. Carefully transfer stars to prepared baking sheets using offset spatula, spacing 1 inch apart.

Gather scraps, press together, and re-roll once to cut more stars. Dough can be re-rolled one time without becoming too tough.

MAKE THE MERINGUE ICING:
In clean, grease-free bowl, whip room temperature egg whites with electric mixer on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute.

Gradually add sifted powdered sugar about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium-high speed until mixture is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks, about 5-7 minutes total. Icing should be bright white and very thick.

Beat in fresh lemon juice and almond extract until just combined. Icing should be thick enough to coat back of spoon heavily without running off. If too thin, beat in more powdered sugar; if too thick, add drops of lemon juice.

Reserve small amount of plain icing in separate bowl if desired for piping decorative details later.

ICE AND BAKE:
Using offset spatula or back of spoon, spread meringue icing on top of each unbaked star cookie, covering center but leaving points bare for traditional zimtsterne appearance. Icing layer should be about 1/8-inch thick and spread smoothly.

If decorating, gently press small piece of glacé cherry (halved or quartered) or few flaked almonds into center of each iced star while icing is still wet. Decorations will bake into icing.

Bake 12-15 minutes until meringue icing is set, dry to touch, and still pure white or very lightly cream-colored but not browned. Proper baking time is crucial - overbaking makes cookies too hard throughout. Mary said these ones should be quite crisp on outside but not rock-hard.

Let cookies cool completely on baking sheets without moving them. Cookies will firm up significantly as they cool and meringue will set hard. Don't try to remove while warm or they may break.

Once completely cool, carefully transfer to airtight container. Mary noted: As they age, they get crispy on the inside too - this is normal and traditional for zimtsterne, which develop uniformly crisp texture over 1-2 days.

UNDERSTANDING ZIMTSTERNE TEXTURE:
Traditional German cinnamon stars have unique texture evolution. When fresh, they should have crisp white meringue topping, slightly crisp exterior edges, and chewy-firm almond interior. Over 1-2 days storage, interior naturally firms up to become uniformly crisp throughout. This is authentic traditional texture, not flaw. Freya's were too tough likely from rolling too thin or overbaking.

CHEF'S NOTES:
Mary's texture feedback addressed: So tough, it's offering me out for a fight - rolling to proper 1/4-inch thickness (not thin) and careful 12-15 minute baking time (not longer) prevents overly hard texture. Cookies should be crisp outside with slight give inside when fresh.

Praised flavors preserved: Paul said that's lovely and specifically praised how the cherry acidity makes the whole thing lighter, cutting richness of almond base. Mary loved the favors of both and said you've done really well - cherry bakewell profile with German cinnamon star structure successfully maintained.

German tradition honored: Traditional zimtsterne (cinnamon stars) are flourless almond cookies topped with meringue icing, beloved Christmas classics in Germany dating back centuries.

Freya's innovation celebrated: Adding glacé cherries creates British cherry bakewell twist while keeping authentic German cinnamon star structure and technique - perfect for German Week challenge.

Texture evolution explained: Mary correctly noted these cookies should be quite crisp on outside when fresh and become crispy on inside too as they age over 1-2 days in storage. This is normal, traditional, desirable zimtsterne characteristic.

German Week context: Week 5 Signature challenge in Season 12 celebrating German baking traditions while encouraging personal innovation and cultural fusion.

TROUBLESHOOTING:
Dough too sticky to roll: Chill longer (up to overnight) or use significantly more powdered sugar for rolling surface and dusting.

Cookies spread during baking: Dough wasn't chilled long enough before baking. Refrigerate cut shapes 15 minutes before baking.

Cookies too hard throughout: Rolled too thin (should be 1/4-inch) or baked too long (12-15 minutes maximum) or at too high temperature.

Meringue icing cracks or browns: Oven temperature too high or baking time too long. Keep at 300°F and watch carefully.

MAKE-AHEAD TIPS:
Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days before rolling and cutting. Bring to cool room temperature before attempting to roll.

Unbaked cut cookies can be frozen on baking sheets, then transferred to airtight freezer containers and frozen up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to baking time.

Baked cookies store in airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks. Texture improves over first 1-2 days as interior becomes uniformly crisp.

These cookies actually improve with age as flavors meld and texture becomes consistently crisp throughout.

TRADITIONAL VS FREYA'S TWIST:
Traditional zimtsterne: Plain almond-cinnamon flourless cookies topped with bright white meringue icing, traditional German Christmas treat.

Freya's British twist: Added finely chopped glacé cherries to dough for cherry bakewell flavor that Paul praised for lightening richness through cherry acidity - combining German technique with iconic British flavor pairing.

German Week context celebrates: Traditional German baking with personal innovation showing respect for heritage while adding creative interpretation.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Perfect Christmas cookie - traditional German holiday treat served throughout Advent and Christmas season.

Serve with tea, coffee, or mulled wine for festive gathering.

Beautiful on cookie platters with distinctive star shape and pristine white icing creating visual impact.

Package in boxes lined with parchment paper, separated by layers, tied with ribbon for beautiful homemade holiday gifts.