After reading my blog on “After School Treats” my overachiever pal shot me an email sharing her kids’ favorite back-to-school recipe. While the rest of us are proudly patting ourselves on the back for whipping up a batch of freshly baked cookies (using pre-made refrigerated cookie dough) my Martha Stewart clone of a friend spent the first day of school creating homemade Chinese Fortune Cookies—-complete with her own computer generated “fortunes”–for her kids.
Sigh!
Fortunately, she was kind enough to share the recipe and include some tips to go with. All you parents out there who are looking for a special treat to pack in your student’s lunch boxes or have waiting for them when they get home from school, might find the following useful:
HOMEMADE CHINESE FORTUNE COOKIES
Ingredients:
Handwritten or computer generated paper “fortunes” cut and ready to insert
3 egg whites
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1.5 oz. sweet (unsalted) butter – melted
1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Draw three 3.5-inch circles on a sheet of parchment paper.
Line oven tray with the parchment paper.
Place egg whites in a medium bowl and beat until frothy.
Add powdered sugar and butter. Stir until smooth.
Add flour to mixture and continue to stir until smooth.
Allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Using a flat-bladed knife or spatula, spread 1 1/2 level teaspoons of mixture in each circle.
Bake for 5 minutes or until slightly colored around edges.
Remove pan from oven and work quickly. Remove one cookie at a time from the tray by sliding the flat-bladed knife/spatula under each one gently.
Place the “fortune” on top of each cookie and fold in half, then in half again over a blunt-edged object like a mixing bowl.
TIPS:
It’s important to be very accurate when measuring out the batter into the circles so the cookies will be even.
You need to spread the batter evenly and eliminate all hills and air bubbles.
The cookies will be very hot when folding so consider wearing white cotton gloves.
Once the cookies are folded place each in a small muffin tray to maintain shape while they cool.
You can create a cookie rainbow by adding a few drops of food color to the batter.
Related Articles:
Special After School Treat-Chocolate Pizza
Back-to-School Baked Goods: Cookies and Cupcakes
Back-to-School Treats: Chocolate Chip Cookies and Peanut Butter French Fries