Homemade Fortune Cookies for Chinese New Year

For your Chinese New Year party, don't serve store bought fortune cookies. Home made fortune cookies are easy to make and taste great. Also, when you make your own fortune cookies, you can add your own fortunes and personalize them for your friends and family.

Have your fortunes printed out and ready to go because once the cookies come out of the oven you will need to work quickly to fold them. If the cookies cool too much, they will crack when folded.

Consider making the cookies in small batches until you get the hang of folding them. Four cookies at a time is a great amount to start with.

Stuck for ideas for fortunes? Here are a few that got rave reviews at my last Chinese New Year get together:

Sorry, your fortune is in another cookie.

You are unique, just like everyone else.

You will find love on Flag Day. (credit to the Simpsons)

You will soon eat a cookie.

That wasn't chicken.

Your fortunes can have specific information, like the score of an upcoming sporting event or a fictitious stock tip.

Fortune Cookies

Makes about 16 cookies

2 large egg whites
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. almond extract
3 TB vegetable oil
½ cup flour
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp. corn starch
¼ tsp. salt
3 tsp. water

1. Write fortunes on 3 ½ by ½ inch pieces of paper. Preheat oven to 300. Grease baking sheets.

2. Lightly beat egg white, vanilla extract, almond extract and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff.

3. Sift the flour, sugar, cornstarch and salt into a separate bowl. Stir the water into flour mixture.

4. Add flour mix into the egg white mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. The batter should not be runny, but should drop easily off a wooden spoon.

5. Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Gently tilt the baking sheet back and forth and from side to side so that each tablespoon of batter forms into a 4 inch circle.

6. Bake until the outer ½ inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (14-15 minutes).

7. Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula and flip it over in your hand. Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie. Fold the cookie in half, and then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass or the edge of a muffin tin. Place the finished cookie in the cup of the muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue quickly with the rest of the cookies.