Homemade Fortune Cookies

This has been on my 'list to bakes' for a LONG time now but somehow always gets pushed back to the end of my ever-growing list which also includes macaroons, iced sugar cookies and churros.

Fell in love with them when I tasted them after a typical Chinese meal in USA; yes you definitely make sure you got them after finishing your meal, if not demand for them or dont' pay, lolz!!! They proved to be good fun especially sharing with each other what fortune you got - some were nonsense, thought provoking, silly, funny, motivational - whatever you received, at least you could munch on the sweet crunchy cookie (not the paper); surprisingly they were quite tasty too!!

It must have been something in the air last week that turned the pigs blue which even sprouted out small pink wings that I finally decided to get my act together and just go for it.

Have always counted on the internet for recipes. And so far it has never let me down.

But I suppose, there is always a first time. So glad I decided to test the recipe out a little earlier otherwise would have been a bad disappointment.

Had a bad gut feeling with the batter when I was making it and kept checking the recipe to see if I missed out anything. Perhaps it was my technique in whisking the egg whites but the batter from the first recipe was a little too thick, the so called cookies turned out hard, rubbery and not sweet enough even though I added 2 tbsp of sugar which was not stated in the original recipe.

Kept the disappointment to myself that night, cleaning up the mess quickly - almost leaving no evidence except a slightly bruised ego.

So back to the drawing board in search for another recipe, hopefully a better one that works - yes I think I must have looked at every possible recipe available in the internet and also those from my cookbooks for some insights and perhaps better luck with another recipe.

Some advice about making fortune cookies. It is a tedious process as you can probably make about 2-3 each time in a tray which takes 10 mins each batch to bake - do the math and be aware that this could probably take your entire night to finish a small batch of dough. B-U-T in between the 10 mins of baking, there is so much you can do, for example:

- wash, wipe and clear up
- wipe your counter table like 50 times (it probably has never been that clean before)
- sweep your kitchen, dining and hall
- re-organize the cupboards in your kitchen
- wash the toilet bowls
- do the laundry
....and the list of possibilities are quite endless really!! I know I must be crazy pushing the idea of household chores but really, its is a great way to use up one's time effectively. How else would you have kept yourself busy for 10 min over 15 trays?

Though I did burn my finger tips - yep they were a bit pink by the end of the night - but I did managed to make some homemade fortune cookies and at the same time have a cleaner house! Ha ha ha....yeah I know, I get funny weird sometimes, but I felt so accomplished that night with a cleaner albeit neater kitchen and of course, a cool batch of fortune cookies!!!

Like cooking pancakes, the first few scoops are never pretty but by the last few, once you get a hang of things, the fortune cookies do look somewhat decent if not pretty, lolz. Last 10 scoops, I was regretting a little that I didn't have more batter as I discovered some userful/easier short cuts to make them - read on below to find out what they are.

So what did I learn from this experience? Fortune cookies are bitch to make (pardon my language), but its SO TRUE. You can only make a few each time, burn your fingers tips at the same time as you frantically fold them up otherwise once cooled (and this happens very quicky), they harden and become too brittle to mould. In the process of making the first few which were a mess and quite crappy looking (they all ended up in my tummy so that there would be no evidence, ha ha), I was thinking that I should just leave it to the professionals as it seemed much easier to grab them from the shops. But then, once you get a hang of it, its actually not that bad and realized that they are quite fun to make.

If what I have written has not discouraged you and you still want to try making them, here are some useful suggestions:

- organize a small party so that you have many hands to help you;
- keep a free flow of drinks (preferably alcoholic so that time passes quicker in between each batch and also acts to dull the numbness of your burnt finger-tips);
- grab a few good books or keep the computer close-by to keep you occupied whilst the cookies are baking; or in my case, take the opportunity to spring clean your kitchen/house.

Here is the recipe which is an adaptation of here and here (both recipes are very similar).
(Makes about 30 cookies, depending on the size of your spoonful of cookie batter)

3 medium egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
30g vegetable oil
62g all purpose flour (or alternatively you could use all cake flour instead and omit the corn flour)
2g or 1.5 tsp corn flour
1/4 tsp salt
52g caster sugar (more if you have a sweeter tooth)
1 tbsp water

Method:

1. Prepare fortune messages/notes. I downloaded mine from the internet. You can make up your own too but I am not that original! Cut them up and fold each message if necessary.


2. Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees and organize equipment - you need a cup/mug, muffin tray, cookie tray and slipat mat or parchment paper.

3. Using an ordinary hand whisk, whisk egg whites with oil, vanilla extract, water, salt and sugar until everything is well mixed.

4. Sieve in flours and whisk until you get a smooth runny batter.

5. Best to bake these using a slipat mat. Parchment paper is ok but not as good.

6. Drop 1 spoonful of batter onto your tray and with the back of your spoon level the batter out to a nice even big circle. For the first few trays until you get the swing of things, best to make only two.

Getting too smart for myself, tried using a template but didn't work out too well. Best method is still to drop spoonfuls onto the tray and then level out with back of spoon.

7. Bake in oven for about 10 min or until the sides and centre start to brown. (I baked them at 150 degrees with fan switched on - even then, noticed my oven has hot spots, sigh.)

8. Using a spatula, take out one cookie first from the oven which is darker or more brown - due to uneven heating one of the cookie will brown faster than the other. If you wait until the cookie is totally brown, it will be harder to mould them as they are more brittle. Best is when the centre starts to brown a little but not totally.

9. Work quickly (i) place fortune paper on centre of cookie; (ii) fold half, holding the ends/edge together but without pressing down on the fold; (iii) holding ends/edge with one hand and the other hand gently guiding the other two open ends, on the fold of the cookie itself, fold downwards at the rim/mouth of a glass such that you end up with "V shape" in the centre.

The first few test cookies, I got mixed up and was folding at the ends/edge instead at the fold. Ha ha - you learn and will soon get the hang of it :)

10. Hold cookie in place for a few seconds for it to harden. Let cool in a muffin tray (so that it holds it shape but actually once it cools down and hardens, didn't really think the muffin tray helped that much - but every recipe I read uses a muffin tray so I've included it here too just in case I am 'missing' something).

11. Continue with other cookie which is still in the oven.

12. Repeat until you finish all the batter. As you get more 'expert', you can try making 3 or more in each tray. I could only manage a total of 3 for each tray, otherwise kalang-kabut (aka topsy-turvy). Can't imagine doing more than that - must be super fast and have super-iron finger tips!!

13. If some of your fortune cookies are a little pale in the centre, do not worry, dry bake them at low heat about 90 degrees for 20 min or until it reaches a nice brown colour that you like. Note that when you re-bake them, your fortune cookies may lose its shape. Don't worry, just mould them back into shape. If necessary follow step no. #8, work on one cookie at a time, starting with the most brown coloured one of course. :) After all your hard work, do keep an eye on them as the last thing you want is for them to burn!

14. Once they cool down, store them in air-tight containers.

15. Can keep for a few days.

16. Its the 4th day and they are still nice and crunchy! :)

These fortune cookies are great fun and definitely something your guest will not refuse - I mean who in their right mind wouldn't want one??

Have one and let me know what fortune this 2010 year have installed for you! :)