Swedish Dream Cookies (Drömmar)

This is my absolute FAVOURITE COOKIE in the entire world, and SWEDISH COOKIE NUMBER 4 from the "Seven Kinds of Cookies" platter! 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪 They're called "Dreams" (Drömmar) in Swedish which I think is the perfect name. They are perfectly sweet, crunchy and melt in your mouth. 

The secret to their deliciousness is this horrible smelling ingredient we Swedes call "deer antler salt" or "deer horn's salt" (hjorthornssalt). That is a direct translation, and yes, that is what this baking ingredient used to be made of before they came up with a substitute we today call ammonium bicarbonate, or "baker's ammonia". It only smells horrible while the cookies are baking in the oven though. The smell should leave the cookies once they are baked and have cooled a bit. So no worries! Baker’s ammonia is very common in older, traditional Swedish cookie and flat bread recipes, as well as other European as well as Middle Eastern cookies and crackers. It was the primary leavening agent used by bakers before the advent of baking soda and baking powder in the 19th century.  For the Swedish Dream Cookies, one can substitute it with double the amount of baking powder, although this will definitely alter the texture of the cookie and make it less crumbly and crunchy. If you can, please use baker's ammonia.

Enjoy! 💗Helena

Ingredients  (Approx. 55 cookies):

• 200 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1.5 dl (150 ml) sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
• 5 dl (500 ml) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baker's ammonia (ammonium bicarbonate) 
  
  
  

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a pot on the stove on low/medium heat. Let it cool completely (put the pot in the sink filled with cold water for example). 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Pre-heat oven to 150°C (300°F) on the convection setting.
3. Mix the cooled, melted butter and sugar well until the "batter" becomes porous. I use a food processor. 
   
   
   
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Shape small balls and put them on a baking tray with parchment paper. Make sure there is space in between them as the dough does spread when baking. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven for approx. 15 minutes. They are done when they are blondish/lightly golden. Don't let them get too golden brown. 
   
   
   
8. Transfer to a cooling rack for few minutes. 
   
   
   
9. Ready to be devoured along with a cup of tea, coffee or a glass of fresh, cold milk. 😊