hincmariana

I do normally use it for baking cookies, for now I still have some left, that I brought from Italy (but even in sealed packets it evaporates, in the last I opened it was almost gone). Since I have moved to London I have not spent time looking for it. I do not recall if I saw it at Gennaro, a deli in Lewisham (try to call and ask for "ammoniaca per dolci" or baking ammonia), or, a good bet would be trying other etnic groceries: greeks or germans. For ex. there is a small greek grocery around Baywater (on Moscow road) you could call. I assumed you live in London...sorry. Or if you have a good pharmacy there is no reason for them not to order for you. In Italy it is common. Chance is that the will sell you a huge quantity. The cookies with baking ammonia are very different than baking powder, much more tender. Only advice keep the oven door slightly ajar to let the ammonia evaporate, the smell during cooking is not pleasant but if cooked properly there should not be any residual smell or taste. If you don't find any, let me know I'll try to open one of my packages and see if there is still some which is not empty, in case, if it's just for the sake of trying, I can send it to you. ← Many thanks for this reply- I'm in Greenwich, so I'll hunt up Gennaro's. My aged aunt corrected me- the biscuits calling for baking ammonia are Springerle, not lebkuchen, and quite different in texture! So no wonder the recipe needs this particular raising agent.

My American grandmother's recipe for lebkuchen calls for carbonate of ammonia as a raising agent. Where in London might I find this? I'm currently stumped.