Drommar (Swedish “dream” cookies)

This recipe originally calls for “ammonium carbonate” - an ingredient that is very common in Europe, but can be incredibly difficult to find in America. Also known as “baker’s ammonium”, ammonium carbonate is a leavening agent that gives these cookies a uniquely crisp texture. It can be purchased at specialty grocery stores, or online, but baking powder can also be substituted in equal amounts.

Now, you might be thinking, “Put ammonium in my cookies? Are you crazy? Thanks, but no thanks”. But while ammonium carbonate makes the cookie dough smell like … ammonium, the smell completely disappears in the baking process and the cookies are 100% safe (and delicious!) to eat.

Yields 5 dozen cookies

Directions (adapted from Gourmet’s recipe):
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder (replace with 1 tsp “baker’s ammonium”, if available)
½ tsp almond extract
1 ¼ cup shredded coconut

1. Sift together flour and salt.
2. Using an electric hand mixture, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in baking powder and almond extract until well combined, and then slowly mix in flour-salt mixture at low speed until just blended. Stir in coconut. Form dough into disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap until firm, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 300° F. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and arrange 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets. Bake cookies in upper third of oven until pale golden around edges, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack to cool.