Fortune Cookies

With Valentines day right around the corner I wanted to share these fun homemade fortune cookies. I made them for my Chinese New Year dinner party, but I think they would make really adorable gifts to friends or loved ones for Valentines day. You can customize your fortunes and these taste a better than the store bought ones – especially if you make the chocolate version!

When I set out to make these I didn’t have a recipe in hand, and just tried to improvise by making a flat cookie and shaping them into the fortune cookie shape. The first batch I made came out with an odd texture, so I tried again changing a few things. The second batch didn’t turn out either – I knew it was time to turn to Google. I came across this recipe from Cooking Light and it was actually similar to the one I was trying to create – except it didn’t include butter. The butter made the cookies an odd gummy texture – so this one without butter turned out to be a slam dunk.

I wanted a combination of chocolate and regular fortune cookies so I added some Dutch process cocoa powder to my second batch so we could have some variety. But feel free to leave it out if you prefer the standard cookie.

These cookies are actually relatively simple to make, the batter takes a matter of minutes to make. The tedious part is the shaping of the cookies. Keep in mind that you’ll have to be ready to go the second they come out of the oven.

Fortune Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

1 tablespoon Dutch process cocoa powder, if desired

Paper fortunes

 

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor; process until blended. Scrape batter into a bowl using a rubber spatula; cover and chill 1 hour.

 

Preheat oven to 400°

 

Cover 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Draw 3 (3-inch) circles on paper. Turn paper over and spoon 1 teaspoon batter into center of each of the 3 drawn circle.

Spread evenly to fill circle.

 

Bake one sheet at 400° for 5 minutes or until the cookies are brown just around the edges. Remove from the oven.

 

Working quickly, loosen edges of cookies with a spatula, and turn over. Place a fortune in the center of one cookie, fold the cookie in half (enclosing the fortune into the cookie) lightly pressing the edges together. Carefully place the cookie on the edge of a glass or bowl for a few seconds to form into a crescent shape. Repeat with remaining cookies. If cookies get too cool to work with, reheat in oven for an additional 20-30 seconds.

 

Adapted from Cooking Light