Ammonia Cookies

Name: Ammonia Cookies
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 48 cookies
Ingredients: 1 cup butter, at room temperature; 1 cup solid vegetable shortening; 2 1/2 cups sugar; 1 cup shredded coconut; 3 cups flour; 2 teaspoons baking ammonia, crushed (see note)

Recipe from Jenan Madden

Adapted by Dena Kleiman

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(17)
Comments: Read comments

Jenan Madden, the manager of a book store in Seattle, shared this recipe with The Times. She acquired it as a child from a favorite baby sitter. “The taste is great,” she said. “And it’s fun telling people what they are called.” (Ammonia cookies are in fact made with ammonium carbonate, a form of baking soda, not cleaning ammonia, which is poisonous.) —Dena Kleiman

Featured in: The Spirit of Christmas Past Lives On in Traditional Cookies

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Ingredients

Yield:48 cookies

1cup butter, at room temperature
1cup solid vegetable shortening
2½cups sugar
1cup shredded coconut
3cups flour
2teaspoons baking ammonia, crushed (see note)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2
Mix butter and shortening. Add sugar, coconut, flour and baking ammonia. Mix well. Form into small balls about the size of a walnut. Flatten with a fork. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
Step 3
Bake 11 minutes, or until cookies turn light brown.

Tip

Cleaning ammonia is poisonous and should not under any circumstances be used. Baking ammonia is actually powdered ammonium carbonate, a forerunner of baking powder. It is available in spice shops and through Maid of Scandinavia catalog sales by calling (800) 328-6722, or in Minnesota, (800) 851-1121.