Fried Fortune Cookies
Submitted by polishbrat
Homemade fortune cookies cooked on a griddle, folded around a hand-written paper fortune, and cooled in muffin tins until crisp. A fun kids’ project and a charming party favor for Chinese New Year.
YIELD
1 dozenPREP
20 minCOOK
35 minREADY
1 hrsHomemade Fried Fortune Cookies
Fried fortune cookies aren’t truly fried; they’re cooked like delicate pancakes on a hot griddle, then folded around little paper fortunes while still pliable. The result is a cookie that’s thinner and more custardy than the brittle factory-made version, with a warm cinnamon-vanilla aroma you don’t get out of a takeout bag.
This is one of the most fun baking projects you can do with kids. Writing the fortunes is half the entertainment. The folding requires quick hands (the cookies harden fast), so it becomes a little assembly-line dance between stove and muffin pan.
Two techniques matter. First, spread the batter into thin, even circles right after it hits the griddle; thick spots won’t fold without cracking. Second, work in small batches, one or two cookies at a time. By the time you’ve cooked a third, the first one will have cooled too much to bend.
The muffin pan is the genius move. Dropping the folded cookie into a cup holds it in that classic fortune-cookie arch until it crisps completely.
Pro Tips
- Cut the fortune strips before you start cooking; there’s no time to write fortunes while the batter is on the griddle.
- Keep a clean pair of oven mitts or a folded towel nearby; the cookies are hot when you fold them.
- If the batter spreads unevenly, it’s too thick; thin with a teaspoon or two of water until it flows like thick cream.
- Cook only one or two cookies at a time once you get the hang of it; waiting cookies harden in seconds and crack when folded.
Variations
- Swap cinnamon for grated orange zest and a pinch of cardamom for a brighter citrus note.
- Drizzle the cooled cookies with melted chocolate for a fancier, dessert-table version.
- Add a pinch of almond extract in place of cinnamon for a more authentic Chinese-American bakery flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut paper into strips about 3-inches long and ½-inch wide. Write a different fortune on each strip.
Heat griddle over medium heat.
Generously grease the hot griddle with shortening, using pastry brush.
Beat 1 egg in bowl with fork until foamy. Beat in ⅓ cup sugar until light and fluffy.
Stir in ⅓ cup flour, 3 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon vanilla and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and mix until smooth.
Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls onto the greased hot griddle.
Spread into circles about 3½ inches across, using the back of the spoon.
Cook until light brown, about 3 minutes.
Turn with pancake turner and cook about 3 minutes on the other side.
Lift the cookies, one at a time, onto plate. Place a paper fortune in center of each cookie, then fold the cookie in half.
Holding the edges, draw the cookie gently down over the edge of muffin pan to crease in half.
Fit the cookie into a muffin pan cup to hold its shape until cool.
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