L'ammoniaca

                  Since I have had a love for cooking, I have been very interested in recipes for food my mom grew up eating in Italy.  Every year my mom and I go visit my cousin in London, Canada who grew up with my mom is Carpinone Italy (Located in the Region of Molise).  Every time I go she always makes us at least one food item from Carpinone which brings back great memories for her and my mom.  This past time I went, she made a biscotti that is Common in Carpinone for Easter called L'ammoniaca, which are cookies made from ammonia for sweets.  My mom and cousins Michelina and Nicola told me how eating this cookie always reminds them of their home and how they would eat them in the morning with coffee or cappuccino to dip them into.  I wound of writing down the recipe and listening while they told me specifically how to make them.  My mom told me that they were one of my uncle's favorite cookies to eat and that I should surprise him and make them for Easter.  I did and he was very happy to have a piece of his home town with him for Easter.

           Before I tell you this recipe, I just want to mention that the main ingredient is Ammoniaca, which is ammonia (NOT HOUSE CLEANING AMMONIA!).  This is called Ammoniaca per dolci, which means ammonia made for cooking sweets.  Ammoniaca is pretty much an old type of Baking Powder that is used in Italian baking alot.   It is hard to find in the US, I got mine in Canada or you can always order it online if you are interested in making these cookies from Carpinone.  Here is a link to where you can buy it online:(AMMONIACA per Dolce)

Please Click Here for Printable Version:

Ingredients:

* 6 Eggs

* 1/2 cup of Vegetable Oil
* 2 cups of Granulated Sugar
* 1 cup of 2% or Whole Milk
* 25 grams of Ammoniaca per dolci (I measured with my scale)

* 1 tsp. of Baking Powder
* The Zest of a Lemon

* 5 cups of All Purpose Flour (plus extra for later)
* 1 Egg (for Brushing onto cookies before baking) 

Procedure:

* Pre-heat oven to 400 Degrees

*In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, Vegetable Oil, Sugar and Sugar.  Mix Well.

* Add Lemon Zest and mix again.

 * Sift the Flour a cup at a time and add the baking Powder in with the flour.

 * Weigh the Ammoniaca out on a scale and add it to the mixture.  Stir well with a wooden spoon.

 ~*~Note~*~ The consistency should be a little wetter than cookie dough.  You should not be able to roll it.   

 * Next, get your work station ready by getting a cookie sheet and lining it with parchment paper.

 * Fill a small mixing bowl with about a cup of flour. 

* Get a teaspoon and scoop dough with a generous teaspoon full.  Drop the dough into the flour covering the dough ball and grab the dough ball from the flour and toss it from hand to hand to get rid of excess flour and then plop the dough ball into the cookie sheet.  

~*~Note~*~ Once you put the dough ball on the cookie sheet, it will automatically flatten.  That is what it is support to do.  

 * Scramble egg in a small bowl and brush the top of each dough top with Egg.

* Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden on top.

 ~*~Note~*~ Because you are cooking with ammonia, the smell of the cookies when you bake them has a very strong ammonia smell.  I promise they will taste amazing though!

* Repeat steps with remaining dough. (Makes about 4-5 dozen)

 L'ammoniaca is meant to be enjoyed by lightly dipping them into coffee, cappuccino, a latte or tea!