What could be more fun than writing your own fortunes? Well, how about encasing them in your own crispy tuile biscuits? I love demonstrating this one because there are a few tips to creating beautifully shaped, crisp cookies that are brimming with good fortune. You’ll hear me share some of the funny, weird and downright troubling fortunes that my kids wrote. Download them here or write your own using my blank printable template.
Making fortune cookies can be a bit tricky, so it’s best tackled with friends in a spirit of fun. And it’s also easier in a warm kitchen because the cookies stay malleable for that little bit longer. I’ve heard lots of great stories about kids making these, and writing their own fortunes – let me know if your family has fun with this recipe.
The Fortune Cookies feature in the Chinese chapter of my cookbook Entertaining with Dani Valent! See my Chinese Entertaining hub for printable fortunes, styling tips, handicrafts to make and a music playlist to enjoy while you cook and eat.
Makes: 40 cookies
Time: 1-2 hours
Ingredients
- 90 grams egg whites (approx. 3), at room temperature
- 90 grams caster sugar
- 60 grams unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon almond essence
- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- 60 grams water
- 100 grams plain flour
- 1 pinch fine salt
Thermomix Method
1. First, make your fortunes. Print and cut out my templates or cut 40 small rectangles of paper (1 x 6 cm). Write individual fortunes on each piece. Set aside until ready to fold cookies.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays (30 x 40 cm) with silicone mats and set aside. Have an empty muffin tray ready too.
3. Insert Butterfly. Place egg whites and sugar into mixing bowl and mix 30 sec/speed 3.
4. Add melted butter, almond essence, vanilla essence and water and mix 30 sec/speed 3.
5. Add flour and salt and mix 20 sec/speed 2. Remove Butterfly.
6. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula and lightly fold in any remaining flour until just combined. Transfer mixture into a bowl.
7. Spoon a dessert-spoonful of batter onto the first tray and use the back of the spoon to spread it into a circle (approx. 10 cm diameter). Repeat to make two more cookies, leaving a 2 cm gap between each cookie, and making 3 circles per tray.
8. Bake for 6-8 minutes (180°C), until the very edge of the cookie just starts to turn golden. While the first tray is baking, prepare the second tray with 3 circles of batter.
9. Remove tray from oven and move quickly to shape the cookies before they set. Using a palette knife or similar, gently pick the cookie off the tray and turn it upside down onto a clean surface. Place a fortune paper in the middle and fold the cookie in half. Pick up the semi-circle, place the straight edge over the lip of a cup and gently bend down both sides to form a crescent. Place fortune cookie into muffin tray so it holds its shape as it cools. Repeat with the other cookies.
10. Continue with the remaining batter, preparing each tray while the other is cooking, and folding quickly before cookies set, then placing them in muffin trays.
11. If cooled cookies are not hard, crisp and golden, transfer them to flat baking trays. Turn oven off. Leave oven door open for 1 minute to cool down a little, then place formed cookies into cooling oven, close door, and leave until cold. This will make them hard, crisp and golden.
12. Eat straight away or allow cookies to cool completely before storing in a sealable container. They will soften unless completely hard and dry before storage (see step 11).
Traditional Method
1. First, make your fortunes. Print and cut out my templates or cut 40 small rectangles of paper (1 x 6 cm). Write individual fortunes on each piece. Set aside until ready to fold cookies.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays (30 x 40 cm) with silicone mats and set aside. Have an empty muffin tray ready too.
3. Place egg whites and sugar into a mixing bowl and whisk until slightly fluffy and frothy.
4. Add melted butter, almond essence, vanilla essence and water and whisk until combined.
5. Add flour and salt and fold through until well combined. Make sure there are no visible lumps and the batter is smooth.
6. Spoon a dessert-spoonful of batter onto the first tray and use the back of the spoon to spread it into a circle (approx. 10 cm diameter). Repeat to make two more cookies, leaving a 2 cm gap between each cookie, and making 3 circles per tray.
7. Bake for 6-8 minutes (180°C), until the very edge of the cookie just starts to turn golden. While the first tray is baking, prepare the second tray with 3 circles of batter.
8. Remove tray from oven and move quickly to shape the cookies before they set. Using a palette knife or similar, gently pick the cookie off the tray and turn it upside down onto a clean surface. Place a fortune paper in the middle and fold the cookie in half. Pick up the semi-circle, place the straight edge over the lip of a cup and gently bend down both sides to form a crescent. Place fortune cookie into muffin tray so it holds its shape as it cools. Repeat with the other cookies.
9. Continue with the remaining batter, preparing each tray while the other is cooking, and folding quickly before cookies set, then placing them in muffin trays.
10. If cooled cookies are not hard, crisp and golden, transfer them to flat baking trays. Turn oven off. Leave oven door open for 1 minute to cool down a little, then place formed cookies into cooling oven, close door, and leave until cold. This will make them hard, crisp and golden.
11. Eat straight away or allow cookies to cool completely before storing in a sealable container. They will soften unless completely hard and dry before storage (see step 10).
Tips
- If you watch my Fortune Cookies video you’ll hear some of the funny, weird and downright troubling fortunes that my kids wrote. Download them here or write your own using my blank printable template.
- Folding the cookies before they harden is much easier on a warm day – they harden fast in a cold kitchen. It’s a good idea to practice this recipe before making it for a special occasion.
- If you’re finding it hard to fold your fortune cookies before they harden, make just 2 at a time and bake them a little less before removing from oven.
- Baking paper can be used instead of a silicone mat but it’s harder to work with.
More about this video
- Wondering about the gorgeous bowl that the flour is poured from? It’s by Shelley Panton.
- Did you know Fortune Cookies were actually invented in the US?
- I’m wearing Leonard Street!
- I’ve gathered together some of my favourite Chinese recipes here.
- The Fortune Cookies feature in the Chinese chapter of my cookbook Entertaining with Dani Valent! See my Chinese Entertaining hub for printable fortunes, styling tips, handicrafts to make and a music playlist to enjoy while you cook and eat.
- Fortune Cookies are one of those dishes that most people would never consider making at home. Listen to me chatting on the radio about ‘things I wouldn’t cook’. To be honest, there’s not much I wouldn’t try but there is one dish…
