Amoniaczki Polish ammonia cookies
Traditional recipe for Amoniaczki Polish ammonia cookies. Buttery cookies with crunchy sugary bite.
This time I am sharing a very special recipe for a cookie that has been with me my whole life, every Christmas (and many other occasions), but mostly Christmas :). Cookie that is so so so simple and yet so delicious, cookie that lasts forever and gets better with time...
Ladies and Gentlemen let me present you the recipe for the best Amoniaczki - sparkly Polish ammonia cookies.
What is ammonia? Also known as Baker's Ammonia, Salt of Hartshorn or ammonium bicarbonate. It is a leavening agent used by bakers in the 19th century. It is quite difficult to find in Western countries but in Poland, Czech Republic or Slovakia it is a standard item in the shops. Ammonia helps the dough to puff up and make it airy. I have to mention that it smells quite strong but the smell goes away quickly after baking.
How to make amoniaczki Polish ammonia cookies
Here I would like to say thank you to my Mum who let me share her recipe for Amoniaczki cookies. My Mum is an amazing baker and amazing cook and I am honoured that she let me use some of her recipes on my blog.
These cookie are easy to make, you basically need to add all the ingredients together, then store dough in a fridge for at least an hour. Then roll cookie dough 0.7cm thick. Then sprinkle sugar on a working area and place cookie dough on top of sugar and roll it cookie dough so sugar sticks. Then you need to cut out the cookies and bake them for about 12-15 min until golden. Cookies will puff up wonderfully and become crunchy on top.
Tips:
- For extra crunch I used white sugar and Demerara sugar.
- Cookies are the best when rolled to 0.7 cm thickness. You can roll them thinner but they will be more crunchy than soft.
- While baking, you can will smell ammonia in your kitchen, but do not worry, it will go away after few minutes.
What do amoniaczki Polish Ammonia cookies taste like?
These cookie require only 7 ingredients and are easy to make. What is special about these cookies? Ammonia powder. Adding ammonia to the cookie dough gives it extra chewiness, and smaller crumb and it makes the cookie taste super addictive. The consistency of these cookies is soft and airy with a fantastic crunch from the sugar.
How to store amoniaczki Polish ammonia cookies
What I also love about Ammonia cookies is the fact that they last forever and they taste even better (if this is possible) after a week or two. Just make sure you keep the cookies in an air- tight container at room temperature and cookies will be fine.
If you are looking for more easy Christmas cookies, I can recommend you the following:
Walnut cookies with Irish cream chocolate ganache
Hazelnuts chocolate espresso cookies
Click this link if you want to see the best recipes for Christmas cookies
I hope you will make my recipe and if you do, please leave a comment below and let me know your feedback. You can also find me on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Gab and Gettr. Please say hi and do not forget to tag me in if you make my recipe. I love seeing your creations.
Recipe source – my Mum's notebook
Smacznego!
Traditional recipe for Polish cookies Amoniaczki. Buttery cookies with crunchy sugary bite.
- 180 g sour cream
- 320 g AP flour
- 120 g butter (cold, unsalted, chopped)
- 150 g sugar (white, granulated, divided 50 +100)
- 1 egg (large)
- 1 tsp ammonia powder (ammonium bicarbonate (Baker's ammonia))
- 1/4 tsp salt (table)
Prepare 2 baking sheets and line them with baking paper.
In a medium bowl add flour, butter, 50g sugar, salt, ammonia and sour cream and mix all the ingredients until you get a unified dough.
Add an egg and mix.
Shape the dough in a disc, wrap it in a cling film and put it in a fridge for at least an hour.
When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 170C (340F) fan.
Roll the dough on a working space 0.7cm thick.
Now, remove the dough from the working space (place it on a baking sheet) and sprinkle the remaining sugar on the working space.
Place the rolled dough on the top of sugar and press it gently so the sugar sticks to the dough.
Using a cookie cutter or a glass cut out your cookies and place them (sugared side up) on baking sheets.
Repeat this step with the all dough (adding more sugar if necessary or more flour).
Bake cookies for about 15 min until golden brown.
When cookies are ready, let them cool on baking sheet for a minute and then transfer them on a cooling rack.
Store cookies in an air-tight container for up to a month at room temperature.
Cookies will soften with time, so they are great to bake ahead of Christmas time.