Fortune Cookies originated in Japan. In the United States, they are often associated with Chinese culture.
Senbei, a Japanese cracker, made of sesame and soy sauce, was produced in Kyoto Japan in the 19th century.
These crackers had messages in the center of them, like fortune cookies... Japanese immigrants began to make Senbei in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the 1900s.
At the same time, Chinese restaurants did not have many desserts to offer.
They then began to make the senbei crackers for customers. Around the time of World War II,
fortune cookies became popular among soldiers. Chinese-Americans were able to mass-produce fortune
cookies when Japanese-Americans got sent to internment camps.
Recipe - Ingredients:
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter melted
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 tbsp water
1 cup all purpose flour (5 oz by weight)
...
Instructions
1-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat, and have your fortune strips ready to go.
2-In a stand mixer (or large bowl with a hand mixer), whip the egg whites and sugar on high speed for about 2 minutes, until frothy. Whip in the melted butter, vanilla, almond extract, and water until incorporated. Add the flour and mix until the flour *just* disappears.
3-With a tablespoon measure, spoon the batter onto the parchment paper and spread it out into an even 3 inch circle. I recommend not doing any more than 2-3 at a time, since they set very quickly and you will not be able to fold more than that.
4-Bake the fortune cookies for 7-8 minutes, until the edges brown slightly. If you let them brown too much, they will snap when you shape them. Conversely, if they don’t brown a little bit, they will also break (but tear, rather than snapping).
5-When each batch of fortune cookies finishes baking, remove them from the oven and quickly flip the circle over, and fold your fortune cookie in half, into a semicircle. This is when you slip your note into the cookie (quickly) because if you slip it in right at the beginning, the cookie will be too hot and your paper will stick to the cookie. Place your semicircle onto the edge of a cup, and quickly fold the ends down, to crimp into a fortune cookie shape (see above tutorial video if needed).
6-Place the cookie in a muffin tin to let it cool and hold its shape.
