VALENTINE’S DAY FORTUNE COOKIES

Fortune cookies always seemed like a difficult baking task – which is not my strong suit to begin with, but I gave it a go and it was surprisingly easy and really fun.  I decided to make Valentine inspired fortune cookies, so I used natural food coloring to die the batter red and made love-inspired fortunes for each cookie.  A few fortunes read, “Whatever is worth doing, is worth doing with you,” and “May your every heart’s desire come true for you today,” and “So many smiles start with you.”   It is fun to have a theme with the fortunes such as a birthday party, après-ski party, or a winter cross country ski picnic.

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

• Muffin tin for shaping the cookie

• Small paper fortunes (cut out and ready to go)

DIRECTIONS

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.

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 disappears.

With a tablespoon measure, spoon the batter onto the parchment paper and spread it out into an even 4-inch circle with the back of the spoon. I suggest not doing any more than 3-4 at a time, since they set very quickly.

Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes, until the edges are slightly brown. If you let them brown too much, they will snap when you shape them. 

When the fortune cookies finish baking, remove them from the oven and quickly flip the circle over, fold into a semi-circle and crimp the top, slide the paper fortune in and finish crimping. Quickly fold the base of the cookie over a cup to make the shape and let cool in the muffin tin. 

Repeat with the remaining batter.