Recipe for Ammonia Biscuits

The Cambridge Dictionary definition of Comfort food is “the type of food that people eat when they are sad or worried, often sweet food or food that people ate as children”. In Italy, the English term has recently entered into common usage, its meaning also linked to tradition. The Treccani Encyclopedia defines it as “literally, «food capable of giving comfort», a term that usually refers to traditional recipes, capable of arousing nostalgic or sentimental memories (of childhood, of the family)”.

In an increasingly hectic and complicated world we all need to stop every now and then and revisit truly moving memories from the past. Some foods, comfort foods, have the ability to do this and the recipe we propose here will take you back in time, as only simple and traditional recipes can. Let’s then make classic dunking biscuits, known, in many parts of Italy, as “biscotti con ammoniaca” (ammonia biscuits).

«Ammonia in a recipe?» you ask yourself.
The term ammonia has always been associated with these biscuits for simplicity, the same “simplicity” with which they are made, but technically it is incorrect.  In fact, it is ammonium bicarbonate. Read our article to learn more about how to use baking ammonia in cooking.

Ingredients for the Ammonia Biscuits

• 1150g Type “00” Biscuits and Shortbread flour
• 300g Butter
• 400g Granulated sugar
• 5 Medium eggs
• 17g Baking Ammonia
• 2.5g Salt
• Orange zest
• Seed of one vanilla pod
• 60ml Rum

Method

Before preparing these incredible biscuits, carefully read this in-depth article where we explain how to use baking ammonia correctly to avoid health risks. Spoiler: its correct name is ammonium bicarbonate.

• Mix the salt, sugar, creamed butter, vanilla and orange zest very well together in a mixer equipped with a K whisk.
• Add the eggs, a little at a time, taking care that they are incorporated correctly into the mixture.
• Add the liqueur.
• Using a sieve or a whisk distribute the baking ammonia evenly through the flour, then add it to the dough.
• As soon as the flour is properly incorporated, roll out the dough to a thickness of 0.5 cm and cut into 5 x 10 cm rectangles.
• Place on baking trays and sprinkle them with granulated sugar.
• Bake at 180 °C for 15-18 minutes.
• Cool completely before serving.