The most important discovery ever

I have pictures to post from Vienna and even from as long ago as Thanksgiving, but I have made the executive decision that this post is even more important. Today I made a very important discovery. Every year we make the same Christmas cookies: fruit cookies and Zimtsterne (cinnamon stars). Both are difficult to make - the instructions of the Zimtsterne even say to mix until a 'gooey mess,' or something along those lines. I knew that they were German recipes, but I had no idea how prevalent they were! Apparently the friut cookies are a kind of Lebkuchen - German/Austrian Christmas cookies/cakes. If we made the cookies thicker they would be very similar to things I've tried here. But more interestingly, I've found a ton of Zimtsterne!! Not only that, but they sell the dough, pre-made, in the supermarket! WHAT. The dough that is a gooey mess; the dough that makes the cookies a true undertaking every Christmas season.

I am making some cookies from this dough and bringing them home. We'll see if they taste anything like our traditional recipe.

Zimtsterne in the supermarket!!

AND pre-made Zimtstern dough