Jimmy's Dreams

This is a recipe that I got from my grandmother, mostly because it literally has my name on it.

"Dreams" are traditional Swedish cookies, flavored with vanilla. They have a very crisp and light texture because of the rising agent used. I actually had to look up what it's called in English, and it is apparently quite rare outside of Scandinavia. The rising agent used is called "hjorthornsalt", literal translation would be "deerhornsalt". In days gone by it was extracted from the horns of deer, but nowadays it is manufactured chemically. Anyway, the English translation is powdered ammonium carbonate, or baker's ammonia. When baking the cookies, the ammonia will be released, so it's a good idea to hold your breath as you open the oven door. Don't worry, the cookies will not smell or taste of it.

You can replace the "hjorthornsalt" with baking powder, if so double the amount, but the cookies won't become quite so crisp and light.

The part that makes these a little different from "normal" dreams is that they contain cornflakes, which adds an additional crispy texture.

This recipe produces about 70 cookies.

Jimmy's dreams

Ingredients
4 dl sugar
200g butter
2 dl vegetable oil
8 dl plain flour
2 tbsp vanilla powder
2 tsp powdered ammonium carbonate (hjorthornsalt)
4 tbsp potato flour
4 dl cornflakes

Ingredients

Mix the butter and sugar together thoroughly. Mix flour, vanilla powder, potato flour and powdered ammonium carbonate, in a separate bowl (this is to make sure that the flavoring and rising agent are evenly distributed). Then add all the ingredients to the butter+sugar and mix together using your hands. Try to be a little careful of the cornflakes, it's impossible not to break them at all of course, but you want some pieces that are recognizable remaining. The texture of the dough will be quite dry and crumbly.

Form the dough into balls, about 3,5 cm in diameter, and place them on a tray lined with baking paper. Make sure to leave plenty of room for them to expand. Press down lightly on the middle of each ball with a finger, "denting" and flattening it a bit. Because of how crumbly the dough is, they will probably crack, don't worry,  just fix them up a little with you hands so that it's not too bad.

Cook in the middle of the oven at 175°C for about 15 min. These cookies should not really color, basically they are done just before they start to do so.

The basis for all good cookies

The dry stuff

The dough

Ready for the oven