The history of ammonia is several thousand years old. In the second volume of his immense work, Herodotus mentioned outcrops of rock salt in Libya or northwestern Egypt that was inhabited by the Ammonians, i.e. the followers of god Ammon. Famous geographers, historians, physicians, and naturalists went on to describe the properties of ammonia, whose solid, liquid and gas by-products were used by laundresses, tanners, alchemists, farmers, industrialists, physicians, and bakers. Under the name sal volatile, ammonia was a popular remedy for Victorian ladies who fainted though we already find instructions for making a heal-all based on ammonia in the first book of Apicius or De re coquinaria (1st century AD). This rare medicinal formula also contained herbs in which the South of Europe abounded:
XXVII. SALES CONDITOS AD MULTA. Sales conditos ad digestionem, ad ventrem movendum, et omnes morbos et pestilentiam et omnia frigora prohibent generari, sunt autem et suavissimi ultra quam speras. sales communes frictos lib. I, sales ammonicos frictos lib. II, piperis albi unc. III, gingiber unc. II, ammeos unc. I semis, thymi unc. I semis, apii seminis unc. I semis (si appii semen mittere nolueris, petroselini mittis unc. III), origani unc. III, erucae semen unc. I semis, piperis nigri unc. III, croci unc. I, hysopi Cretici unc. II, folium unc. II, petroselinum unc. II, anethi unc. II.
23. COMBINED SALTS FOR MANY ILLS. Combined salts are gentle and much more beneficial than you hope for digestion and bowel movement and for the prevention of all maladies and infection as well as colds in general. 1lb ground marine salt, 2lb ground rock salt [ammonia], 3 oz. white pepper, 2 oz. ginger, 1 oz. bullwort seeds, 1 oz. thyme seeds, 1 oz. celery seeds (if you don't have celery seeds, use 3 oz. parsley seeds), 3 oz. oregano, 1 oz. rocket seeds, 3 oz. black pepper, 1 oz. saffron, 1 oz. Cretan hyssop, 2 oz. folium [turnsole], 2 oz. parsley, 2 oz. dill.
Baker's
ammonia was originally made from the ground horn of deer. 17th and 18th century English authors like Robert May, Sir Kenelm Digby and
Hannah Glasse suggested using 'hartshorn' for binding jellies -alternatively with isinglass, which is a gelatine obtained from sturgeon. Hartshorn is also referenced in Scandinavian and German cookbooks.
Mixed with carbon dioxide, ammonia was a common ingredient of 18th and 19th century European & American cuisines until it was replaced with
baking powder. It's also used in Middle-eastern recipes. Simply put, ammonia is the queen of leaveners as
Cleopatra was the queen of Ptolemaic Egypt because it gives the finished product the lightest texture in the world. Industrially produced ammonium bicarbonate has
a very unpleasant smell but it completely decomposes and evaporates while baking. The released gas is perfect for leavening your cookies but useless for other types of dough from which it can't escape, resulting in baked goods of very unpleasant taste.
Ammonia cookies exclusively made with butter were introduced to North America by Scandinavian immigrants. The dough is rolled out thin, which makes the cookies even lighter. Middle-eastern confections are often drenched in syrup, which is also traditional in some parts of Greece. Kουραμπιέδες ζεματιστοί, a variation of 'kurabiye' which is a Christmas treat, are leavened with ammonia. The crispy texture of the baked dough makes it easier to absorb the syrup. Using semolina and pressing the cookies flatter than ordinary kurabiye also helps.
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Traditional Greek Easter cookies
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Lemon-flavored version with wholemeal flour
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Savory ammonia cookies with mixed herbs
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AMMONIA COOKIES
Greek Easter cookies are typically made with butter, leavened with ammonia & flavored with vanilla. My own version is slightly adapted from a collection of traditional recipes by Nikos & Maria Psilakis). The original cookies from Lesvos are not holiday cookies although every recipe from this particular island uses olive oil instead of butter.
I n g r e d i e n t s
2 cups plain flour
2 cups wholemeal flour
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 yolk + 1 egg, separated
1tbsp grated lemon peel
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2tsp ammonia
M e t h o d
Beat the oil with the sugar in a bowl, gradually adding the yolks, half of the egg white, the grated lemon peel, the ammonia dissolved in the milk, and the flour. Refrigerate the dough for an hour if necessary, then shape into cookies, brush with the remaining egg white, and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 20-25 minutes.
V a r i a t i o n s
1) Alternative flavorings include grated orange peel, vanilla sugar, and crushed mastic drops. 2) For holiday cookiese, replace wholemeal with plain flour and oil with butter. 3) Make savory cookies, using the condiments from Apicius. Bullwort, hyssop, and turnsole are not easy to find but the other ingredients probably are. For a total 500g of flour, leftover chickpeas, and homemade ricotta, I used: 2tsp marine salt, 1tsp black and white pepper, 1tsp each of powdered saffron and ginger, 1tsp celery seeds, and 3tbsp of mixed fresh rocket, parsley, and dill. Plus, 2 1/2tsp ammonia dissolved in 1/4 cup milk. Baking time: 35-40 minutes.
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