Made with a special secret ingredient (ammonium carbonate) these traditional buttery sugar cookies will literally melt in your mouth.
When my friend Melissa share the recipe for these Swedish Sugar Dreams Cookies, or Drömmar, I was definitely intrigued by the addition of an unusual ingredient I’d never heard of before.
Ammonium carbonate, or baker’s ammonia, was the primary leavening agent used by bakers before baking soda and baking powder were available.
Melissa told me I HAD to get the baker’s ammonia to make these cookies, and that nothing else would suffice, and she was absolutely right.
I’ve never had such light, airy, melt in your mouth cookies, and I never could have gotten the same magical texture with baking powder or soda.
There is one drawback to using baker’s ammonia, and it’s right in the name. It smells very, very strongly of ammonia.
In fact, baker’s ammonia was also used to revive Victorian ladies when they suffered a fainting smell. Luckily, this throwback to the 19th century is still available online.
Because of it’s strong odor, baker’s ammonia is only used for things like crisp cookies and crackers that will dry out completely during baking, otherwise the scent of ammonia would linger.
Amazingly, there was not a hint of ammonia–taste or smell–in these cookies. In fact, they are one of the most amazing little cookies I’ve ever baked or eaten.
Perfectly crispy and light as air, there really are no words to describe these wonderful cookies….but dreamy definitely works pretty well.
If you’re looking for a new cookie to make this holiday season, don’t let the idea (or smell) of baker’s ammonia scare you off. These Swedish Sugar Dreams (Drömmar) are absolutely delightful!
Be sure to save this recipe for Swedish Sugar Dreams Cookies (Drömmar) to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Swedish Sugar Dreams Cookies (Drömmar)
- Butter
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla
- Flour
- Baker’s ammonia (ammonium bicarbonate)
Swedish Sugar Dreams Cookies (Drömmar)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon baker’s ammonia
- 2 cups flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 280 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla.
- Gradually mix in the oil and stir until combined. Stir in the baker’s ammonia.
- Add the flour and continue mixing until well incorporated.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until firm and cracked on top.
4 comments
Wendy Berglund
Amazingly delicious! I use Bakers (Super Fine) sugar so they aren’t grainy at all. I also like to add unsweetened coconut flakes which I put in after everything else. I just use food safe gloves and dump in some coconut and mix it in with my hands.
Amanda
I don’t know what went wrong. I followed the recipe exactly and when I put them in the oven, they need into sugar puddles. They did not form round cookies.
Kathy Manville
I love these cookies! I was introduced to them at the Portland Scanfair in December. I have made them twice since then. They almost melt in your mouth!