Homemade Fortune Cookies

These were fun to make for my Christmas Eve party, mostly because we got to make up the fortunes and personalize them to our family. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d make these too often, as they really burn your fingers when you “fold” them, and there is no way around it. Someone needs to invent a glove that fits and moves like a second skin but absorbs heat. I’d definitely buy those! Anyway, aside from the burnt fingers these are worth making at least once for a special occasion.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 egg whites, from large eggs
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• A little milk for thinning

• 16 paper fortunes (3/4×2&1/2″)

Instructions

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400f and line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Set out some thick glasses or mugs that are sturdy and short, as well as a towel or several trivets to set the baking sheet on while you fold the cookies.

Batter

1. In a large measuring jug or small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites and vanilla for a few seconds until they are foamy. You don’t want peaks of any kind here, just foamy broken up egg whites. Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into the egg mixture. Whisk until you have a smooth batter. The batter should be a little thicker than heavy whipping cream. If the batter is too thick, whisk in a 1/4 tsp of milk at a time, until you have the right consistency.

Making the Cookies

1. IMPORTANT! You need to work quickly, so only make 2 at a time on parchment lined baking sheets – silicone lined baking sheets will give you a few more seconds before the cookies begin to harden so you can probably do 3 at a time.
2. For each cookie, place a generous teaspoon of the batter on one of the lined baking sheets, use the back of the spoon to spread the cookie out until it is about 3 inches in diameter. Do your best to make the cookie as even a thinness as you can or it may cook unevenly. Space the cookies so that they are at least 3 inches apart so you have room flip them.
3. Bake for 4 minutes, or until the edges just start to get a golden color around them. Remove them from the oven, and as you do put another batch in.
4. Place the baking sheet on the towel or trivets you laid out and working very quickly, flip each cookie over with a small spatula. Place one fortune on each cookie. Fold each cookie in half, and then gently bring the two corners together and place the cookie over the rim of one of the glasses/mugs so that the center is on the rim and one of the corners is in the glass and one is out. Do the remaining cookies in the exact same way.
5. When the cookies have cooled a bit and feel firm, remove them to a tray or plate to cool completely. Once cooled, store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Makes 16 Cookies

Notes

• You’ll most likey burn your fingers doing this so please be very careful!
• We looked online for some of our “fortunes”, others we made up were “This is Mike’s cookie, but he’s not here so you can have it”, “Your lucky number is Fred”, and “You chose the wrong cookie”.