Chinese Fortune Cookies

Making homemade fortune cookies is more about timing than skill. The whole game depends on speed: the cookies stay foldable for maybe 30 seconds after they leave the oven, then they snap. So you write your fortunes ahead, ready an empty water glass, and bake only three at a time. The batter itself is dead simple. Soft butter, sugar, egg white, vanilla and a third of a cup of flour beaten into a thin paste. Drop teaspoons of batter four inches apart and spread each into a 3-inch circle with the back of a spoon. Three to four minutes at 400°F (200°C) and the edges go golden. The minute they come out, you slip a paper fortune onto the warm cookie, fold in half, then drape the fold over the rim of a glass and press the sides down to bend it into that signature seashell shape. They harden in seconds. Store in an airtight container, or watch them go soft in an hour.

Pro Tips

• Bake on parchment paper for cleaner releases. The cookies stick badly to bare metal even with butter.
• Wear a thin cotton glove on your folding hand. The cookies are hot and you have only seconds before they crisp up.
• Use red or colored paper for the fortunes. White paper can look like the cookie itself and gets missed.
• If a cookie hardens before you fold it, return to the oven for 20 seconds to soften. Don’t try to force a brittle cookie or it will shatter.

Variations

• Add a quarter teaspoon of almond extract or orange zest to the batter for traditional Chinese-American flavor profiles.
• Color the batter with a few drops of food coloring for festive holiday cookies.
• Dip the cooled cookies halfway in melted dark chocolate for a dressier presentation.