What is baker's ammonia, and can I substitute it?

Baker's ammonia (hartshorn) is an old leavening agent that gives crisp cookies. The recipe uses 1 teaspoon of baker's ammonia together with 2 teaspoons of baking powder. If you don't have baker's ammonia, you can use baking powder alone, but the cookies will be a little less crisp.

How much flour should I really use?

About 1 kg wheat flour, but the amount is adjusted as needed: add enough flour that the spoon can stand up in the batter. The dough should be thick enough to be dropped from a spoon.

How are the cookies shaped and baked?

The batter is dropped from a spoon onto a greased baking sheet, not too close together, since the cookies spread. Bake in a good hot oven. The recipe makes about 80 cookies, and the total time is around 70 minutes.

Why is there pepper in the cookies?

Pepper (1 teaspoon) is the spice that gives these syrup cookies from Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914) their characteristic, slightly sharp flavor – related to gingerbread cookies.

Knepkaker (Spiced Syrup Drop Cookies)

Knepkaker: a syrup dough with sugar, eggs, milk, pepper, baker's ammonia, and baking powder, about 1 kg flour, dropped from a spoon onto a sheet and baked in a good hot oven.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 563 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Knepkaker are syrupy, spiced drop cookies that are spooned onto the baking sheet. Baker's ammonia (hartshorn) was the usual leavening agent in such syrup baking in 1914.

How to make it

1
Whisk eggs and sugar
Whisk the eggs and sugar together well.
2
Add syrup, milk, and spice
Stir in the syrup, milk, and pepper.
3
Mix in the flour
Mix the baker's ammonia and baking powder well into the wheat flour and stir it in. Add enough flour that the spoon can stand up in the batter, and work the dough together well.
4
Drop and bake
Drop the dough from a spoon onto a greased baking sheet, not too close together. Bake in a good hot oven, about 200 °C (390 °F), until the cookies are baked through and nicely colored.

Changes from the original

"2½ del." is converted to 2.5 dl. Baker's ammonia can be obtained from a pharmacy or baking supply store. The method is divided into numbered steps and the oven temperature estimated at 200 °C (390 °F) ("a good hot oven").

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Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From1914 1949 Modernised

To1914 1949 Modernised

Modernised → 1949 (proofread, p. 655)~78% of the text changedremovedadded

800 ~~g sirup.~~ gr. sirup 200 ~~g sukker.~~ gr. sukker 2 ~~stk egg.~~ egg 1 ts teskje hjortetakksalt ~~(hornsalt). 2,5 dl~~ 2½ del. nysilt melk ~~(nysilet i originalen).~~ 2 ~~ts bakepulver.~~ teskjeer bakepulver 1 ts teskje pepper ~~(malt).~~ ca. 1 ~~kg hvetemel (ca., til deigen er passe fast). Visp egg~~ kg. hvetemel. Eggene og ~~sukker godt sammen.. Rør inn~~ sukkeret vispes sammen, tilsettes sirupen, ~~melken og pepperet.. Bland hjortetakksalt og bakepulver godt i hvetemelet~~ melken, pepper, samt tilsist melet, hvori hjortetakksaltet og ~~rør det inn.~~ bakepulveret er utrørt. Ta så ~~mye mel~~ meget mel, at skjeen kan stå i ~~røren, og arbeid deigen~~ røren. Arbeides godt ~~sammen.. Sett deigen~~ sammen, settes med te skje på smurt ~~stekeplate,~~ plate, ikke for tett. ~~Stek~~ Stekes i godt varm ~~ovn, ca. 200 °C, til kakene er gjennomstekte og fine i fargen.~~ ovn.

Note on Modernised

«2½ del.» er omregnet til 2,5 dl. Hjortetakksalt kan erstattes med hornsalt fra apotek eller bakebutikk. Fremgangsmåten er delt i nummererte trinn og ovnstemperatur er anslått til 200 °C («godt varm ovn»).

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Frequently asked questions

What is baker's ammonia, and can I substitute it?: Baker's ammonia (hartshorn) is an old leavening agent that gives crisp cookies. The recipe uses 1 teaspoon of baker's ammonia together with 2 teaspoons of baking powder. If you don't have baker's ammonia, you can use baking powder alone, but the cookies will be a little less crisp.
How much flour should I really use?: About 1 kg wheat flour, but the amount is adjusted as needed: add enough flour that the spoon can stand up in the batter. The dough should be thick enough to be dropped from a spoon.
How are the cookies shaped and baked?: The batter is dropped from a spoon onto a greased baking sheet, not too close together, since the cookies spread. Bake in a good hot oven. The recipe makes about 80 cookies, and the total time is around 70 minutes.
Why is there pepper in the cookies?: Pepper (1 teaspoon) is the spice that gives these syrup cookies from Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914) their characteristic, slightly sharp flavor – related to gingerbread cookies.

Equipment for this dish

Stand mixer →Erken kneaded and whisked by hand for ages – a stand mixer does the work for you.Engrospris.no

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