Dream Cookies, also known as Swedish Dream Cookies, are very light textured sugar cookies made with baker's ammonia. This recipe, adapted from The King Arthur Cookie Companion, is called Decorator's Dream Cookies because it is a cut-out cookie version of the baker's ammonia cookies. They are light, crisp, sturdy enough to decorate, yet tender rather than hard.
Baker's Ammonia
If you've ever wanted to experiment with sugar cookie texture, a little baker's ammonia should be on your shopping list. In Canada you can find it at some grocery stores. I've never seen it on the shelf of a USA grocery store, but you can order it. All that being said, you can make these cut-out sugar cookies without it.
Easy to Work With Dough
This dough is really easy to work with and makes great tasting, very thin cookies. The cookies do puff up a bit, but the taste makes up for the puffiness.
Fiori di Sicilia
Another interesting way to flavor cut-out sugar cookies is to add Fiori di Sicilia which is an orange-vanilla flavoring. It has what people generally describe as a recognizable orange and vanilla flavor. It took me a while to finally buy a bottle, and when I did I ended up not using it all. Personally, a combination of regular vanilla and a scrape or two of orange zest is just as good. Then again, if you grew up on the real Fiori di Sicilia then you will most likely prefer that.
If you've never tried baker's ammonia, it's worth ordering from King Arthur Flour.
Dream Cookies with Baker's Ammonia
1 cup unsalted butter (8 oz)
2 cups confectioners' sugar (8 oz)
2 tablespoon light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baker's ammonia (optional)
1 large egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons water
3 ½ cups (14 ¾ ounce) all purpose flour
Cream butter, sugar, and syrup with an electric mixer. Beat in flavorings and salt.
Dissolve baker's ammonia in egg/water mixture and stir into batter. Stir in flour.
Shape dough into two balls and put each ball in a large zipper bag. Press balls flat, seal bag and chill dough until ready to use.
Roll dough to about ⅛ of an inch thick (can roll thinner if desired). Cut shapes and bake at 350 degrees F. for 8-12 minutes (depending on size of cookie).
Makes about 4 dozen 2 inch cookies
Anna says
I've had my share of frustration with dough as well. I usually end up rolling it out and freezing it before cutting. There are doughs that have more flour, but they never taste as good as the harder-to-work-with less flour doughs.
Amy says
I shouldn't be allowed to make cut-out cookies, I really shouldn't. I know better. The second half of the dough has been a little better. I think the first time I was afraid of sprinkling too much flour (thinking it would make them too tough) and I didn't get them thin enough either. I don't know if I'm going to be brave enough to post pictures.
Anna says
Oh no, Amy!You might have to roll it out and chill it. You could even roll out circles, put the rolled out circles in the freezer, and punch out from the chilled/firmed dough circles.
Amy says
Waaaa!!!I'm not finding it easy to work with at all. My Christmas trees look like...?... I don't know, not Christmas trees. I'm about to scream or cry, not sure which.
Jen says
I will soon be on the look out for a good cut out sugar cookie so it's good to know this is a good one. Course, I've yet to make a dud from this book so it probably would have been the first place I looked.