For the cookies

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the sugar and vanilla sugar and mix.
3. Then add the butter and knead the mixture with your fingers until you can form a firm ball of dough.
4. Wrap the cookies in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour.
5. Sprinkle your work surface generously with flour and roll out the dough to about 1 to 1.5 cm thick. Now use your star shapes. It may well be some of the same big ones.
6. Place a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray and place the biscuits on it. Bake the biscuits at 180°C for 12 to 15 minutes. When they are golden brown, they are ready (check at 12 minutes to make sure they don’t burn).
7. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Beat the egg whites until frothy. Sieve the Zùsto and gently fold it under the egg whites until it reaches the desired thickness.
8. Now carefully mix in the dye until you get the colour you want.

Finishing touches

1. When the cakes have cooled, brush edible glue on the top in the centre. Then arrange the stars so that you get a Christmas tree.
2. Add the gel icing to a piping bag and gently pipe onto the ‘branches’ of the Christmas tree. If necessary, spread with a knife or spoon until everything is covered.
3. You can still decorate with sugar balls if you want.