Fortune cookies are first baked, then molded, into their distinctive form. A strip of paper bearing a tersely stated fortune is inserted; then the hot-from- the-oven cookie is folded to enclose it.
Although a meal in a Chinese restaurant wouldn't be complete without fortune cookies, it's doubtful that they are actually Chinese. However, they're one of the pleasures of Chinese-American dining. The next time you plan a dinner of Chinese food, serve these with tea for dessert. You'll find they taste better than most, because they are flavored with orange flower water and orange rind.
You should bake only 2 or 3 cookies at a time so you can fold them all before they become too stiff. If the last cookie in a batch does firm up, you can restore its flexibility by returning it to the oven for 10 to 20 seconds.
As soon as the cookies cool, they become brittle and crisp. It's important to work with the cookies the instant you remove them from the oven. Wearing soft, snug-fitting, cotton gloves will help you to handle the hot cookies without discomfort. 1 tbsp. cornstarch 1/4 c. sugar 1/4 c. salad oil (such as corn or safflower) 2 egg whites (about 1/4 c.) 1 tbsp. orange flower water 1/2 tsp. grated orange rind 12 to 16 fortunes, typed on 1/2 x 3 inch strips of paper (See Note)
1. In mixer bowl stir together flour, cornstarch and sugar to combine thoroughly.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. To flour mixture add oil and egg whites; beat at high speed until smooth. Mix in orange flower water and orange rind.
3. Make just 2 or 3 cookies at a time, dropping batter by level tablespoons, placed about 3 inches apart, onto a well-greased baking sheet. Use a small spatula or the back of a spoon to spread each portion of batter evenly to a 4-inch diameter circle.
4. Bake until cookies are a light golden brown (10 to 12 minutes).
5. Using a wide, flexible spatula, immediately remove 1 hot cookie at a time from baking sheet. Holding cookie flat with smooth side (which was against baking sheet) down, place fortune in center.
6. Then quickly make the following folds. Gently fold cookie in half to make half-moon shape, with curved (open) side facing upward.
7. Create second fold by drawing center of folded cookie (open edges up) across a thin-edged bowl or pan to crease cookie in half again.
8. To preserve typical fortune-cookie shape, place each folded cookie, pointed ends down, in cup of muffin pan until cookies are completely cooled and feel firm to the touch.
9. Using remaining batter, repeat steps 3 through 8 until all cookies are baked, shaped, and cooled. Store cookies in tightly covered metal container or sealed plastic bag for up to a week.
Makes 12 to 16 cookies.
NOTE: Consult an Asian fortune-telling book for appropriate messages.
