Good Fortune

Recently I was out to dinner with a friend who commented that he really likes fortune cookies--to eat.  Lot of people like the fortunes but don't really bother to eat the cookie.  (Some, I know, eat at least part of the cookie for fear the fortune won't come true without eating some of it.)  I eat the cookie if mostly because I hate wasting food.

I had heard you could make them at home, personalize the fortunes to whatever you wanted.  But I never really thought about it very much.  Until my friend mentioned how much he actually really liked the cookies.

So, I thought I would try making him a batch.  It actually is pretty easy.  The trick is, I think, asbestos fingers, thin enough batter and working fast.

Admittedly, I watch a bunch of youtube videos to get the recipe and the basic strategy for getting the cookies off the baking sheet and folded up with a message inside.  The silpat helped a lot.

Fortune Cookies

2 large egg whites
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract
2-3 tablespoons of water

Preheat over to 400 degrees.  Bake for about 8 minutes, but watch carefully, only the edges should brown. Make cookies first just two at a time until you are confident you can get them off and folded before they cool.  Once folded put in the hollow of a muffin tin to cool.  This helps them keep their shape.  Once cool they are crisp and just like fortune cookies.

Imagine making an Asian inspired meal with local and seasonal ingredients and serving your own fortune cookies at the end.  You could even put message about the sourcing of the ingredients or other ethical feel-good messages inside!

I saved the egg yolks and will do something with them tomorrow.  I have some other baking to do and such tomorrow, so I am sure I can figure something out.