Anyone have experience baking with bicarbonate of ammonia? Nick Malgieri's book...

M

michael-in-phoenix

Well-known member
...Cookies Unlimited, has a recipe for Crisp Coconut cookies. It uses ammonia bicarb ("bakers ammonia") as a leavening agent, with instructions like, "if you open the oven while the cookies are baking, keep your face away from the opening our you'll get a blast of ammonia...". He says the cookies will wreak of ammonia when they come out of the oven, but the "...smell will dissipate as the cookies cool...".

This ingredient is used to get an extremely crisp cookie. He says you can sub equal amounts of baking powder, but the cookie won't be crisp.

Does this seem odd/extreme to anyone?

Michael

 
Michael, I used it for a Swedish/Norwegian? cookie. It was hard to find and didn't seem

to make the cookie crisper. I recall it being a ridiculously small amount, like 1/4 tsp. And wondered later if that's why it didn't seem to make a difference.

If Nick is getting "a blast of ammonia", then I'll bet he's using more than 1/4 tsp.

Instructions said to dissolve it before adding it to the wet liquids or it wouldn't disperse evenly.

When I went to try it again the next year, it had dissolved and was useless.

 
Ok, but it seems extreme to use such a toxic chemical in a home-baked item.

I know supermarket baking powders contain alumninum derivatives and other questionable chemicals, so I shouldn't be too surprised.

I've never thought of baked goods coming out of the oven and needing time for the "...ammonia to dissipate...". Struck me as weird, and something I'm not inclined to try.

Thanks,

Michael

 
My mom made these for Christmas every year and they were delicious. REC: Princess Gems

There was no smell that had to dissipate when you took them out of the oven. They were so light and crispy. Wonderful cookies. Don't be afraid to try this out. The recipe you are quoting sounds extreme and is not my experience.

* Exported from MasterCook *

PRINCESS GEMS

Recipe By :Annie
Serving Size : 36 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cookies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

1 cup shortening (1/2 Crisco, 1/2 margarine)
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ammonium carbonate -- finely ground
2 cups flour
1 cup Angel Flake coconut (in cans) -- packed
powdered sugar

Make in balls. Space apart a good distance. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar when cookies have cooled. Makes 36 cookies.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 
Michael, just wikied bicarbonate of ammonia--not toxic or smelly. . .

Unless you put into regular bread or some baked good that stays more moist than a crispy cookie.

To quote:

"Compared to baking soda or potash, hartshorn (bicarbonate of ammonia--mistral) has the advantage of producing more gas for the same amount of agent, and of not leaving any salty or soapy taste in the finished product, as it completely decomposes into water and gaseous products which evaporate during baking. It cannot be used for moist, bulky baked goods however, such as normal bread or cakes, since some ammonia will be trapped inside and will cause an unpleasant taste."--Wikipedia, Bicarbonate of Ammonia entry, under "Uses"

So, it's good in crispy cookies, not good in cakes or breads--ya may smell the ammonia when baking the cookies, but that is just the vaporized ammonia venting out--none will be in the cookie.

 
Yes- I used to use it all the time when I baked a lot of cookies

It is very old-fashioned and yes, it does produce a very crisp cookie like nothing else can.

Don't fear it- try it. Everything old is new again.

 
Used it to cook in Prague and Israel--it was sold in little packets. Sold in Italian delis in NYC.smileys/smile.gif

 
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