How To Make Fortune Cookies At Home Slideshow
Most people may think making a fortune cookie requires special ingredients and special equipment (ahem, a wand to get the fortune inside the cookie, and also to bend the cookie into that befuddling shape).
Not true. In fact, you may already have all of the ingredients you need in the pantry. Butter, toasted sesame oil, confectioners' sugar, egg whites, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, and salt are all you need. If you want to pimp out your fortune cookie, get some black sesame powder, available in many Asian grocery stores near the hot beverage section, and gold leaf, found in many baking and cake decorating stores or also online.
As for equipment, a whisk or an electric mixer, a cookie sheet, a thin spatula, a coffee mug, and a muffin tin will do.
Cream the Butter and Sugar
Place softened butter, sesame oil, and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and cream on low speed to a paste. You can also use a hand mixer or even just a plain whisk.
Add the Whites
Then, add the egg whites and vanilla extract with the machine running.
Mix and Add Dry Ingredients
Combine the flour and salt in another bowl. Add to the wet ingredients in small batches with the machine running. Blend until a smooth batter is achieved, but don't overmix.
Portion Out the Batter
Generously grease a cookie sheet. Take about a tablespoon of batter and place on the cookie sheet. Spread out with the back of a spoon until you have a 4-inch or larger diameter circle that's fairly thin. This doesn't have to be a work of art; the batter will spread as it bakes. And for that reason, your next tablespoon should be at least a few inches away.
If you're doing this for the first time, we advise making only about two to four cookies at a time, as you'll need to work quickly to form them into fortune cookies once they're out of the oven.
Bake the Cookies
Bake in a 300-degree oven until just set and slightly golden around the edges but still slightly soft in the center, about 12 to 14 minutes.
Shape the Cookies
You'll need to work with the cookies while they're still hot, since there are only about 20 seconds before the cookies become too cold to form into the correct shape, and they will turn brittle and break.
Using a thin spatula, remove one cookie from the sheet and place the cookie sheet back into the oven. Then, place the fortune (if using) in the center of the cookie, fold the cookie in half, and with the seam side up, place over the rim of a coffee mug and gently bend downward into a U-shape, bringing the two points together. Place in a muffin tin to hold the cookie's shape. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Once you get some practice, you'll get faster and be able to remove all of the cookies from the sheet at the same time and form into the U-shapes before they turn too cold. It also helps to have another pair of hands and create a sort of assembly line. If they do get too cold, you can always return them to the oven briefly to soften them again.