Mennonite Girls Can Cook is a collection of recipes which were posted daily for a period of ten years from 2008 to 2018. We have over 3,000 delicious recipes that we invite you to try. The recipes can be accessed in our recipe file by category or you can use the search engine.

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Peppermint Cookies

( sorry there's no scratch and sniff)

I went over to my Mom’s to take photos of her while she was starting to bake Peppermint Cookies for the MCC Relief Sale. This is one way that she still feels she can contribute to a good cause with a gift that God has given her. She looked so cute in her jean dress and red checkered - embroidered apron, a gift from her own Mom!
Peppermint Cookies are soft white cookies that have a unique strong scent while they bake, because of the baking ammonia in them. I wondered if they could be made without ammonia and just peppermint extract, and she said that they would not be as “fluffy nor flavorful.” It’s the baking ammonia, which is a type of leavening agent, that gives them the distinct light texture, and peppermint oil does not evaporate, the way extract would, while baking. The little Mennonite ladies in our community find these things somewhere by word of mouth. It’s 'this delicatessen' or 'that bakery', but because this site is internationally read, I would suggest a candy making supply store, health food store, drugstore (ask pharmacist) or checking online.

Ingredients:
  • ½ cup softened butter
  • 2 ½ cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 20 - 25 drops peppermint oil (not extract)
  • 2 tablespoons baking ammonia dissolved in 2 Tbsp hot water
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 cups flour
Method:
  1. In large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
  2. Dissolve baking ammonia in hot water. May need to use a spoon or your fingers to make sure there are no lumps.
  3. Add oil, sour cream, peppermint oil and baking ammonia to egg mixture, beating each in well.
  4. In separate bowl mix dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients, stirring with wooden spoon or using a hook attachment on your large mixer.
  5. Cover and let stand in fridge overnight.
  6. Prepare cookie sheets (preferably light colored, aluminum) by coating lightly with shortening (using a paper towel). Then sprinkle lightly with flour, tilt cookie sheet and tap ends to allow flour to spread evenly all over.
  7. Divide dough into four parts to roll out. Roll out to ¼ - 1/3” thickness, using a light dusting of flour on rolling surface as well as on top of dough.
  8. Cut with small round cookie cutter or small tomato paste tin.
  9. Bake at 400° F a tad above centre of oven for 7 minutes if doing toonie size cookies or 10 minutes if doing tomato paste can size ( test underside of cookie  - until golden from underneath.)
  10. Remove onto wire cooling racks. Re-use cooled baking sheet without washing. You can scrape up the flour with a plastic scraper and dust with flour again, but you don’t
    have to keep greasing it up for the rest of the batch. One batch makes 12 - 14 dozen large cookies, depending on size. (half recipe makes 12 dozen toonie cookies)
If desired, make a thin icing with confectioners sugar and whipping cream, mixing to a consistency that easily spreads on cookies.

57 comments:

  1. Those cookies look like they would melt in your mouth! So when is this sale??

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  2. These cookies bring back memories..they look exactly like the ones my Mom made.
    I'm sure they go like 'hotcakes' at the MCC sale:)

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  3. These could be my mom's peppermint cookies as well. I can almost smell them!

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  4. Good to know .. .we'll look closely to find the ones that look just like that.
    I don't need a scratch and sniff button . .once you've smelled them baking. . it's baked into the memory bank as well.

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  5. This sounds so intriguing...will have to go in search of the special ingredient. I have some HUGE peppermint lovers in the family.

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  6. Hey...very familiar looking recipe! I can truly smell these baking just by looking at those pics. So...when and where is this MCC sale?

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  7. Yum!! I searched last year for the baking ammonia...since Funks is closed, Safeway has tried to pick up some of the "specialty" things they used to carry. So I was told you can get it in the Pharmacy at Safeway =)

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  8. I'm so excited about this recipe, I've wanted it for so long. Yummmmmm.

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  9. Oh, these remind me so much of my grandma (Betty Neufeld). She always included a bunch of these in the ice cream buckets full of Christmas cookies that she'd send us home with.
    -TL

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  10. I had to fly back to Winnipeg for some baking ammonia - they looked at me like I was crazy in London, Ontario! (Brought back some farmer sausage too.)

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  11. oh! my grandma neufeld used to make these! as soon as i saw the pictures i could taste and smell them in my mind and started to get teary eyed! what i wouldn't give to be able to attend the MCC sale and sample your mom's!

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  12. I know them as 'Ammonia Cookies' and the 'smell' memory immediately brings to mind my grandmother's kitchen even though it was not a cookie I ever developed a taste for.
    Your Mom looks beautiful in her kitchen...as do her cookies!

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  13. Oh yummy...I can just taste them! I love seeing Oma on the blog! =)

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  14. These are one of my kid's favorite memory/cookie that my mom baked. But do you think mine come out the same? No way!! Mine do not rise, so are a bit crispy. I usually get my baking ammonia and pep oil at Funk's in Clearbrook when we go there! :) Friends here cannot believe I would use ammonia in a cookie!! Hard to explain.

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  15. Just a question, how much peppermint extract do I use for this recipe, if I don't have peppermint OIL!?

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  16. You can also get the baking amonia at the Windmeal Deli in the strip mall where Value Village is (South Fraser Way and Clearbrook Rd.

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  17. Hi Connie, I can't guarantee that extract will give the same results as oil, because I have read that extract can evaporate with baking. I have checked this out on line and it sounds like you could try a ratio of 1-4. (So, 1 1/3 tsp extract)Maybe this is for making candy, but you could try it.

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  18. Ok, thank You Anneliese, I'll try that, since I bought the extract already and don't know where to buy the Oil. Maybe You can tell me?!

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    Replies
    1. I bought peppermint oil at Michael's, the craft store. They have a fun baking/cooking section. They didn't have baking ammonia though.

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  19. You can get peppermint oil at the health food (vitamin) store. Although cutomers do use it in baking, the retail store agent may advise you to contact the distributer, since they cannot advertise it as such.

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  20. Thank you for this recipe! I found p. oil at the bulk food store, 3.7 ml. I found using 1/2 tsp oil for half the recipe was very nice. I love the peppermint flavor. I also added a couple drops to the icing sugar/cream glaze. I used whipping cream instead of sour cream. Marian

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  21. YEAH!!!!

    i was looking for peppermint cookies recipe...there are plenty of them online BUT.... i was searching for a Mennonite recipe.

    i did find a site though that said you cooking ammonia was before the discovery of baking soda...so you could substitute b.soda BUT you would need to use TWICE the amount of b soda as the ammonia amount the recipe calls for.

    somehow i bet the taste just wouldn't be the same though... so off to the drug store to find baking ammonia...

    thanks bundles and bushels!!!
    xo
    eva

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  22. If you have a Nutter's Bulk Food Store nearby, they carry Baking Ammonia.

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  23. I get my ammonia from Nutters which is a health and bulk food store.

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  24. I am making these right now and have questions? The ammonia is "very" strong ...is this normal?

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  25. To the 5 Ws': Yes.. the aroma is strong, but disappears and the pepperming flavor takes over. I've never liked it, but for some it brings back memories of Oma's kitchen etc. Using the ammonia should make the cookies quite light .. but you could try using less baking ammonia and a tad more baking powder. Hope they turned out nice for you.

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  26. I have looked forever for this recipe. When I found your site, I was absolutely thrilled! I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada, and had to special order baking ammonia from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, just so I could make your Peppermint Cookies. I too, remember these cookies as a little girl, and I must tell you, they turned out wonderful! Everyone loves them! Going to make more soon, thank you again, keep up the awesome work girls!

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  27. L. Dyck, if you're reading this, come to Waterloo for your pepperment oil and baking ammonia. We have a bulk food/speciality baking store here - Ayres nut and baking - and I fully recommend trying out the little baking supply stores. They tend to carry baking ammonia and essential oils, or at the very least will know who does.

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  28. King Arthur Flour is a good source for specialty baking items:

    http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/bakers-ammonia-ammonium-carbonate-27-oz

    http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/peppermint-oil-1-oz

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  29. Perfect peppermint ammonia cookies. Oma has been gone for almost 20 years but just making these makes it feel like she's here for her Great Grandkids this Christmas.
    In the U.S. baking ammonia is available from amazon.com.

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  30. First time I wanted to make these, I got the recipe from my grandmother....and that was the easy part!! Finding baking ammonia was tough...until I went into one of our local deli's operated by a Swiss couple. While waiting for my order to be filled, we started talking about recipes etc from our childhoods and I mentioned I needed to find baking ammonia to make my grandmothers peppermint cookies. His eyes lit right up, came around the counter, took my hand and led me to a shelf of odds and ends....lo and behold!! baking ammonia!!! except it was called Horn Salt....but was the same thing. I promised to bring him some and when I did, we enjoyed cookies and tea in the back area. He cried....hadn't had these since he had left Switzerland when he was a young boy....and was at this time in his mid-60's.

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  31. Baking ammonia can also be found in some deli's .... sold as Horn Salt.

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    Replies
    1. That reminds me ... my mom cals it Hirschen Salz.

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  32. I found a really good quality one on Amazon. I made these with my daughter last year and we'll be doing it again, reminded me of Oma's at Christmas a long time ago. We'll see if the link works.

    http://www.amazon.com/Ammonium-Carbonate-Bakers-Ammonia-2-7/dp/B005GLXRC6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382967206&sr=8-1&keywords=baking+ammonia

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  33. I just talked to my Mom about this recipe, my Oma used to make these too! I had to go to the local baking supply store (Ayre's in Waterloo, ON) for the baking ammonia. Mom has another Christmas cookie recipe that uses this ingredient too, "Braune Cookies" (best filled with homemade plum jam). Can't wait to get baking!

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  34. I found baking ammonia at Well Seasoned in Langley. It's on 64th Avenue just west of Costco.

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  35. Baking ammonia can be bought at Lepp's in Abbotsford....

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  36. I use baking power substituted 1:1 for ammonia. They turn out a little more like cake but it's how my Oma made it. They are still delicious with milk.

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  37. I can't even tell you how grateful I am for this website. There are so many recipes I fondly remember my Grandma making. Her peppermint cookies were my favorite, and since my mom doesn't like to make them, I have taken up the mantle every Christmas. However, I just went to her place to get the recipe (written out by my grandma years ago) and the paper is now missing - and thus my gratefulness that you ladies have thoughtfully put these recipes on the internet where they won't be forgotten or misplaced.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Erin. I never thought I'd be making these, but now I am, because of the memories and passing down a tradtition. I made them this week, intending to do just half the recipe, but mixed the whole by mistake. I was happy I did, because they roll out so easily out of the fridge. I divide the dough in quarters and roll each out to about a large dinner size plate and cut tiny rounds that bake in 7 or eight minutes. I layer them with wax paper in between the layers and they keep well in a cold place like a garage, now in the winter. All the best!

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  38. Famous Foods (1595 Kingsway in Vancouver) has baking ammonia. I can't find it here in the BC Interior, but my daughter found it there. I can't wait to be baking these cookies very soon!

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    Replies
    1. Some drug stores carry it. If you live near Kamloops, Kipp Malory downtown is where I got mine.

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  39. I've tried this recipe before and using sour cream didn't turn out! Maybe I am doing something wrong? Can I use heavy cream or does it have to be sour cream?

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    1. I am not sure why the sour cream would be an issue as this recipe has literraly been fool proof with thousands of cookies made. Are you using fat free sour cream? I would really encourage you to try again, You could try Greek yogurt or whipping cream, but I have not tried that. I hope they work out for you next time.

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  40. Can you substitute bakers ammonia with a combination of baking powder and baking soda. Having a hard time finding ammonia in Calgary. We are visiting our children and they love Oma's peppermint cookies! I would appreciate anyone's suggestions on this, thanks.

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    Replies
    1. You should be able to buy baking ammonia at Nutter's Bulk and Natural Foods in Airdrie or Okotoks. If you're not able to get to the store, talk to Nutters, and I'm sure they would be able to send you a package in the mail.

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  41. Where can I buy baking ammonia in Calgary for peppermint cookies? We are visiting from Ontario.

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    Replies
    1. Have you tried Health Food Stores? I've found they often carry baking ammonia.

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  42. I buy online, it's so hard to find it in stores.

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    1. Bakers Ammonia is at the Scoop N Weigh on Taylor in Winnipeg. Just made my first batch of Peppermint Ammonia cookies in memory of my Tante Greta from Steinbach who put Ammonia in everything...at least I distinctly remember it in her pancakes. This recipe turned out for me exactly like the picture😊

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  43. This recipe turned out perfectly! Baking time was slightly less, even for the bigger cookies (more like 8 minutes). I am outside of Winnipeg now, but I brought my baking ammonia with me from Lepp's in Abbotsford. I topped them with a thin white chocolate glaze, because white chocolate and peppermint is so good together.

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  44. I just made the full batch and they turned out very well! Fortunately it makes a lot, as many of the cookies barely made it off the rack before my family started into them. I'm from Brandon, MB. I didn't find bakers ammonia there, but we did find it at the Scoop and Weigh at 1770 Taylor in Winnipeg. For the 2 Tbsp needed for the recipe, I paid just under two dollars. For the quality and taste, it was a small price to pay. I found peppermint essential oils in the Natural/organic section of Superstore on Fermor. The bottle didnt say it /shouldn't/ be used for cooking. I like to take risks I guess. For the sour cream, I used 14% No-Name. The whole house smelled strongly of ammonia for a few hours after baking, but my family forgave me very quickly when they tasted the outcome. Like the above poster, my cookies turned out exactly like thr picture, and exactly how I remember them growing up.

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  45. I bought baking ammonia at No Frills in Picton,ON! My late MIL always made these and I was hoping to make them for my grandchildren. Although I am not Mennonite background, she was a lovely, kind lady and I would like to carry on some of her baking. I also appreciate your bread for the journey. Thank you for a wonderful website.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Candice. I hope they turn out just how you remember them!

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  46. Two great-aunts taught me how to make "Springerlee" which uses baking ammonia. I have to try and find some in Calgary, now that I have finally run out of the stuff they gave me. I haven't made any for several Christmases, and really miss them. Springerlee are anise flavoured. Not everyone likes them, but I absolutely love them. Great to dunk in tea!!!!!!

    Dennis Voth

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