Norwegian Ammonia Cookies

I had promised to bake my husband some of his favorite holiday cookies. Better late than never, right? We'll call these New Year cookies. They are Norwegian Ammonia Cookies. I got the recipe (and the horn salt) from my friend, Gail Brooks. Horn salt is also known as baking ammonia. And yes, your oven will smell like ammonia but it isn't very strong and the smell doesn't linger. The cookies DO NOT taste like ammonia. Each year Gail drives up to Poulsbo, WA, to stock up on horn salt. I have one packet left in my freezer, for next year, and then I guess I'll be trekking to Poulsbo, too. Here is the recipe for these delicious cookies, in case you happen to have horn salt on hand.

NORWEGIAN AMMONIA COOKIES

1 cup butter
1 cup Crisco (or other shortening)
2 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup shredded coconut
3 cups flour
2 tsp. horn salt (baking ammonia)

Cream butter and shortening, add sugar and coconut then stir in flour and horn salt. Roll into balls the size of walnuts and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees until just slightly brown (about 17 minutes).

The cookies are fragile until cooled so be careful when removing them from the pan. Let cool completely. Can be stored in an airtight container or frozen for future use.

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These cookies are incredibly crispy and highly addictive. We joke that there is "crack" in them. Maybe because of how horn salt looks in the little package.

The cookies freeze very well. In fact you can take them out of the freezer months later and they will taste fresh baked.