Fortune cookie

I wanted to try my hand at making my own fortune cookies with personalized messages in them to send to my friend in a little care package.  I haven't seen this friend for a while and wanted to send a fun and yummy baked gift.  Fortune cookies are perfect for this because you can personalize the messages you put inside of them.  I looked up funny, cute quotes that I thought she would like and that would cheer her up.  

Here are some examples:

Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.  It is already tomorrow in Australia~Charles Schulz

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people~Victor Borge

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are~E.E. Cummings

The recipe is simple, but folding the cookies takes a little practice.  I definitely screwed up the first 3-4 of them that I tried to make, but then I got the hang of it.  

Ingredients:

2 egg whites from large eggs

1/2 teaspoon almond extract (you can also use vanilla extract or use any other flavor you want them to be)

pinch of salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup flour

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or just grease the pan.  Make some fortunes on small strips of paper (the size of a normal fortune cookie message)

2) Combine all of the dry ingredients (salt, sugar, flour) in one bowl and set aside

3) Beat the egg whites with the almond extract (or extract of your choice) until foamy but not stiff--> less than one minute.

4) Mix the dry ingredients into the egg whites and beat until just combined.  

5) Spread the batter into thin circles using the back of a spoon or by tilting the cookie tray.  Scoop two cookies only a teaspoon each, onto your silpat or greased baking sheet (only bake two cookies at a time so you have time to fold each cookie while they are hot and pliable).    

6) Bake for around 5 minutes or until the edges turn brown

7) Remove the tray from the oven and, using a spatula, remove on cookie from the tray and put it upside down on a flat surface.  Quickly place the fortune in the center of the cookie and then fold the cookie in half (more like a cannoli shell shape) and then place the cookie over the rim of a cup and bend the pointed edges towards each other.  

7) Allow them to cool completely in a muffin tin

Now it's time to send them to my lucky friend :-)