It sounds like a recipe I make for Vanilla Dreams out of the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. The texture is very much as you described, I think. They are very easy to make.

I didn't have it typed it so I checked the KA website...The recipe is the same, but the ways to prepare the cookies have been updated! I just make them into balls and roll them in demera sugar. The chocolate dipping sounds interesting! I use baking powder when I don't have the baker's ammonia on hand. Still good.

Good luck!

Vanilla Dreams

The ultra-tender, extra-crunchy texture of these cookies is unlike anything you can get using baking powder or baking soda. The secret? Baker's ammonia, a.k.a. ammonium carbonate; possibly available at your local pharmacy, and certainly available here at King Arthur Flour. Can these cookies be made without baker's ammonia? Sure; just substitute baking powder. Just be aware their texture won't reflect what we've just described.

Cookies
2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
 1/2 teaspoon baker's ammonia or 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 1/4 cups sugar
 1 cup unsalted butter
 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
 coarse or granulated sugar for topping, optional

Chocolate dip
 1 cup diced pecans or walnuts, crushed
 1 cup chocolate chips
 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
1) Combine the vanilla, baker's ammonia, and salt in a very small bowl. Stir to dissolve the ammonia; the salt won't fully dissolve. Combine the vanilla mixture with the butter and sugar, and beat till smooth.
2) Mix in the flour; the mixture will seem quite dry at first.
3) Continue beating until the dough comes together.
4) Break off pieces of dough about the size of a shelled chestnut (about 3/4 ounce). Roll the pieces into balls. Space them no the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2" between them.
5) For somewhat sweeter cookies with the added crunch of sugar topping, roll them in coarse or granulated sugar before placing them on the baking sheets.
6) Use the bottom of a glass, dipped in sugar if necessary to prevent sticking, to flatten the balls to about 3/8" thick. If you have it, use the end of the food pusher from a food processor; many of these have a circular, ridged pattern on their end, which imprints the cookies with a nice design.
7) Bake the cookies until they're a very light golden brown around the edges, about 25 minutes.
8) Remove them from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool.
9) To dip cookies: Crush the pecans finely, either by putting them in a zip-top plastic bag and pounding, or in a food processor.
10) Combine the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a microwave-safe cup. Microwave till the chocolate softens, then stir till it melts completely.
11) Use a pastry brush to pain the bottom of each cookie with chocolate.
12) Dip in the crushed nuts.
13) Place cookies, chocolate-side up, on a piece of parchment or cookie sheet to set.

Thank you. From the sugar-butter to flour ratio, I think we are on to something. I am going to make these KA cookies and I will get the baker's ammonia. I have never heard of it before. Is this something that is used more by professional bakers than home bakers? The King Arthur site is great. There is so much to look at.

No, it used to be used by many home bakers, especially in Europe. You'll see a number of traditional recipes like springerle that call for it. Basically it's an older leavener than baking powder.

A couple of things to remember - it will dissipate, so keep your jar very tightly closed. Otherwise you'll open the jar and discover it's empty.

Also, it will stink during baking (smell of ammonia). This smell will disappear and doesn't affect taste at all.

Carol

I found the ammonia in Wegman's...it wasn't in my local grocery store. These cookies are still VERY good using baking powder.

Yes, I agree! I love the KA site. Lots of good recipes and ideas!

sounds like a shortbread cookie to me.
Linda C

I have been to the King Arthur site and the more I read reviews of the recipe, the more I think this is exactly what I was looking for.

I did buy some of the baker's ammonia. I also got Fiori Di Sicilia flavoring, baker's dry milk, and diastatic malt. Fun! I am going to bake up a storm when that order comes.

carmellia - hope you'll post a follow-up as I'm anxious to hear how your cookies turn out. I also have never been a big fan of sugar cookies. But DH picked up some from a store that "imported" them from a Long Island baker apparently renown for sugar cookies. They were unlike any other I'd had. Of course, the store closed so now I need to find a recipe ;)

I will do that goldgirl. I have never been a fan of sugar cookies either. I always thought they were basically a piece of cardboard to hold holiday frosting.

As I said, I picked them up at a garage sale because they looked so different and so good. That first bite had me putting these cookies in a whole different category. One of the reviews on the KA site said she had added 1/8 teas. of Fiori Di Sicilia flavoring to the recipe and she loved it. I have ordered some of that too and I am going to divide the dough in half and put a drop or two of the Fiori flavor in one half. I will let you know about both of them.

Oh Good! I hope you do make them! Then I think it will be the first recipe I've posted that someone else tried! Even though it's not mine! LOL!!!

Hey, they ARE vanilla DREAMS!!! I don't really go for sugar cookies anymore. But one day, just trying to change it up, I made these. The kids and DH ate the entire batch that day!! Of course, I think I polished off about 1/4 of the batch during that heavy quality control testing I had to do (new recipe and all). Ahem. *cough, cough* :) LOL!

Can't wait to hear about that FDS flavoring. DO POST BACK Goldgirl and Carmellia!!

Deb

I'd love to hear how they turned out also.