Zitronensterne - Étoiles au Citron – Biscuits de Noël alsaciens fondants | La Briocherie de Pascal

If you enjoy my work and would like to support La Briocherie de Pascal, you can contribute freely by clicking on this link. I've chosen PayPal for its security and lower fees; thank you! https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/labri... 👉Today's recipe: Lemon Stars - https://labriocheriedepascal.fr/2025/... ⬅️ Previous recipe: https://labriocheriedepascal.fr/2025/... ▶ Next recipe: Manele - Saint Nicholas Man - https://labriocheriedepascal.fr/2025/... 🎁 All Christmas recipes 👉 https://labriocheriedepascal.fr/2025/... Welcome to La Briocherie de Pascal. Today, I'm sharing my Lemon Stars recipe, authentic Alsatian Christmas cookies: a melt-in-your-mouth shortbread texture, the aroma of lemon zest, and a beautiful layer of lemon icing with a matte finish. This is a handcrafted, precise recipe that's easy to recreate at home, perfect for your assortment of Alsatian Christmas cookies. --------------- Introduction to the Lemon Stars recipe, melt-in-your-mouth Alsatian Christmas cookies with lemon icing. Presentation of the shortbread texture and the tradition of La Briocherie de Pascal. 1:20 Complete list of ingredients for the lemon shortcrust pastry: butter, icing sugar, flour, baking powder, lemon zest and juice, egg yolks, heavy cream. 2:23 Ingredients for the icing: icing sugar, egg whites, and lemon juice for a beautiful, generous layer with a glossy finish. 3:02 Starting to make the pastry: creaming the butter and icing sugar, gradually adding the eggs, then incorporating the dry ingredients and flavorings. 10:56 The Lemon Star pastry is ready. Wrap it in plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface, and refrigerate overnight. 12:40 Preparing the lemon icing, to be made the next day before rolling out the pastry: smooth, glossy, and creamy texture. 15:20 Starting to shape the pastries: rolling out the pastry to 4 mm thick, cutting out the stars, and arranging them on a baking sheet. 23:45 Bake at 170°C (340°F) using a convection oven for 14 to 15 minutes, until lightly baked to preserve the typical color of Alsatian Christmas cookies. 24:06 Result after baking: golden, melt-in-your-mouth, and uniform stars. 24:35 Apply the lemon icing in a generous layer without stretching the brush, carefully applying it for a glossy finish. 28:56 Close-up of the icing process for the Lemon Stars: perfect texture and uniform shine. 30:10 End of the video, a debriefing on the melt-in-your-mouth texture, the fresh lemon flavor, and the success of this iconic recipe from La Briocherie de Pascal. --------------- Ingredients – Lemon Stars Lemon Shortcrust Pastry 200g softened butter 140g icing sugar 500g all-purpose flour (T45) 11g baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 sachet vanilla sugar 2g salt Zest of 2 lemons 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 egg yolks 35g heavy cream Lemon Glaze (thick layer) 250g sifted icing sugar 60g egg whites 2 tbsp lemon juice Steps – Professional Method (La Briocherie de Pascal) 1) Creaming the butter and icing sugar together: Cream softened butter and icing sugar together with a paddle attachment for 4–5 minutes at medium speed. The goal is a light and airy mixture. Scrape the bowl for perfect homogeneity (avoids undissolved grains). 2) Emulsifying the Egg Yolks Lightly beat the egg yolks. Add them in two stages: mix for 1 minute between each addition, then for another minute at medium/high speed. The mixture should be smooth and glossy (stable emulsion). 3) Drying Method & Flavorings Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Rub the zest into the dry ingredients (this releases the lemon's essential oils). Incorporate briefly (30–40 seconds). The mixture should remain crumbly: do not develop gluten. 4) Binders & Dough Formation Add the heavy cream and lemon juice. Mix just until the dough comes together (approximately 30 seconds). Remove from the bowl, knead very lightly if necessary, shape into a disc, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface. Let rest overnight in the refrigerator (for structure and stable flavors). 5) Rolling & Shaping On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 4 mm thick. Cut out the stars and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Work while the dough is still cold for clean edges. 6) Baking Preheat oven to 170°C (325°F) using the convection setting. Bake for 12–15 minutes, depending on size. The cookies should remain pale. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. 7) Lemon Glaze (a generous layer) Whisk together sifted powdered sugar, egg whites, and lemon juice until smooth and glossy, neither too runny nor too stiff (it should hold its sha...