Premium old-fashioned baking ammonia for your special cookie and baking classic recipes.

Originally made from the ground antlers of reindeer, this is an ancestor of modern baking powder.  Northern Europeans still use it because it makes their springerle and gingerbread cookies very light and crisp.  Unfortunately, it can impart an unpleasant ammonia flavor, so it's best used in cookies and pastries that are small enough to allow the ammonia odor to dissipate while baking.

• Baker's Ammonia (ammonium carbonate) makes extra-crisp cookies or crackers
• Use in old-fashioned recipes (usually Greek) calling for it (or for hartshorn)
• Yes, it has a very strong smell when baking; don't worry, it totally dissipates by the time the cookies are done

Baker's Ammonia is used to make extra-crisp cookies or crackers.  Unlike baking powder or soda, it does not leave an alkaline off-flavor in baked goods.   It is not used for cakes or other large items because the ammonia gas cannot evaporate from these items. You will notice an odor of ammonia while baking, but this will quickly dissipate and the baked product will not have an odor or taste of ammonia.
 
Because Baker's Ammonia has a tendency to evaporate when exposed to air, it should be stored in a jar with a tight cover. It will not spoil, but will "disappear" if not stored properly.

It is also called hartshorn (ammonium carbonate). It is an ammonia compound and not harmful after baking. However, don't eat the raw dough. Your kitchen will stink of ammonia while the cookies bake - but once baked, the cookies will not taste of it.
Can be substituted for equal amount of baking powder in any cookies recipe. It is an old-time leavening favored for cookies, such as German Springerle. It is said to give a "fluffiness" of texture baking powder can't. Its leavening is only activated by heat, not moisture (such as baking powder).

History of hartshorn: A source of ammonia used in baking cookies or, as "salt of hartshorn," as smelling salts. Once the word meant literally the ground horn of a hart's (male deer's) antlers, but ammonium carbonate was later used as a substitute, which also went by the name of "salt of hartshorn."

aka ammonium carbonate = carbonate of ammonia = baking ammonia = bicarbonate of ammonia = ammonium bicarbonate = powdered baking ammonia = triebsalz = hartshorn = salt of hartshorn = hirschhornsalz = hjorthornssalt = hartzhorn