A very crisp cutout cookie with the flavors of lemon and cinnamon, dipped or drizzled with dark chocolate.
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pulverized baking ammonia* OR 1 teaspoon cream of tartar mixed with 1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
3 large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon water
Pearl (coarse) sugar or regular granulated sugar
4 oz dark or semisweet chocolate pieces, melted
Directions
- In a very large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, 2 cups sugar, cinnamon, baking ammonia and salt. Cut in butter till mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add eggs and lemon peel; mix well to form a dough. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into shapes with 2- or 3-inch cookie cutters. Place cutouts on ungreased cookie sheets. Combine egg white and water; brush over tops of cookies. Sprinkle cookies with sugar. Bake in a 375° oven for 8 to 10 minutes or till golden. Remove to wire rack to cool. Drizzle with melted chocolate, or dip a corner in the chocolate and place on sheets of waxed paper until chocolate sets.
Notes
- * Baker’s ammonia (ammonium carbonate) is a leavening that produces a very light and crisp cookie. It is very common in Europe but less so in North America. Baking powder and baking soda are NOT alternatives to baker’s ammonioa. With substitutions, you won’t achieve proper consistency (you will get a chewier cookie — it still might be good, but not the intended crispness).
- Baker’s ammonia is inexpensive and very easy to find on Amazon or specialty baking sites such as King Arthur Flour. You can often find ammonium carbonate at the pharmacy as well. This is the same exact thing, just make sure you crush it into a fine powder, as sometimes it is grainy.
- IMPORTANT: this product produces a strong ammonia smell while baking. This is completely normal…do not panic. When the cookies come out of the oven, there will be no trace at all of this odor in the final product.
