question about substitution for ammonium bicarbonate

I have a question about substituting baking powder for ammonium bicarbonate. If a recipe calls for 2 grams of ammonium bicarbonate, how much baking powder do I need to use in place of that?

I am trying to make pignolate.

According to my always helpful Food Substitutions Bible, for every 1 tsp of ammonium bicarbonate, you may substitute:

1 tsp of baking powder; or
1.25 tsp baking soda; or
0.75 tsp baking powder plus 0.75 tsp baking soda.

I have not tried this particular substitution but find the book generally quite reliable, fwiw. (The book also gives the measurements in ml, but not in grams. Sorry.)

This boxed quote (entitled "An Unusual Chemical Leavening: Hartshorn") from the Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking:

"The leavening that doesn't involve an acid-base reaction is ammonium salts--ammonium carbonate and/or carbamate--which were once known as 'hartshorn' because they were produced by the distillation of deer antlers. [Who on earth discovered that, and how?!] (Hartshorn was also a common source of gelatin.) When these compounds are heated to 140F/60C, they decompose into two leavening gases, cardon dioxide and ammonia, and don't produce water. They're especially suited to thin, very dry cookies and crackers with a large surface area to release the pungent ammonia during baking."

Golly!

Thanks for the info. I was trying to avoid using ammonium bicarbonate because it seemed like a toxic thing.

Ammonium bicarbonate creates a crisper cookie than will happen with the substitutions cited.

rickster wrote:Ammonium bicarbonate creates a crisper cookie than will happen with the substitutions cited.

Out of curiosity, do you bake with ammonium bicarbonate?

I've used it a number of times but not regularly. It's only appropriate for certain recipes, is hard to find and doesn't keep well (it evaporates).

I'm not sure I would be more reluctant to use it than other chemicals like baking soda and baking powder.