How to bake Chinese fortune cookies: recipe with photo

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

On the eve of the new year, various kinds of fortune-telling are more popular than ever. People want to know what the coming year has in store for them, and if not to look into the future with one eye, then at least tune in to success in the new year. At this magical time, Chinese New Year fortune cookies will come in handy. This is a great opportunity to wish, cheer up and just cheer up your family and friends.

The recipe for Chinese fortune cookies is very simple and does not require any special skills or a lot of rare ingredients. The beauty of these cookies lies in the message sealed inside.

How fortune cookies look

Fortune cookies are one of the classic desserts for every self-respecting Chinese restaurant: small crunchy folded wafers containing an aphorism note or phrase inside that most of the time makes no sense. Given these premises, one can assume that cookies withcame from China, where it is consumed to celebrate certain holidays or anniversaries. But actually it is not. In China, it is practically not used, and if it is prepared by individual restaurants, it is only in order to attract tourists.

Actually, this delicacy comes from Japan. In the 19th century in Kyoto, several bakeries around the Omikuji temple began to produce "good luck crackers." Compared to the fortune cookies we're used to, not only were they dark, they weren't even sweet: their filling was based on sesame and miso. A fortune telling message was placed outside as Japanese bakers feared that someone might swallow it by mistake. Luck crackers are still made in parts of Japan, especially near Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, where they are usually made on New Year's Eve. So how did Japanese crackers become a dessert in Chinese restaurants?

History of the origin of baking

In the early 20th century, some Japanese expatriates began making a sweet version of good luck crackers in San Francisco, in the United States. They quickly became in demand, but the presidential decree on the internment of the Japanese population of America in 1942 led to massive forced movements of the Japanese from the west coast to the so-called military centers. California also fell into the settlement zone.

The Chinese seized the opportunity to start selling Japanese biscuits that enjoypopularity, in their stores, appropriating the recipe. Then a legend appeared, according to which in China in the XIV century, the future emperor Zhu Yuan Zhang himself put a message for his supporters in a moon cake and thus discreetly warned the militias about the beginning of the revolution. As a result of this rebellion, Zhu Yuan became the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Most likely, this was just a way to give the story of cookies a romantic touch in order to increase sales. And he justified himself. With the advent of automation in the industry, cookies spread throughout the United States and beyond, gaining popularity that they have maintained to this day.

Ingredients

How to make Chinese fortune cookies? First of all, you need to prepare all the necessary ingredients. For the classic Chinese fortune cookie recipe you will need:

• Egg whites - 3 pcs
• Powdered sugar - 125g
• Flour - 100g
• Butter – 60g

Taste sensation will help improve:

• Cinnamon - 1 tbsp. spoon
• Vanillin - 10g
• Zest or lemon juice - a few drops
• Almond essence - a few drops

Also, some Chinese fortune cookie recipes use starch diluted with water. This makes the treat crunchier, but makes it harder to wrap the message as the dough becomes more brittle. If your hand is not full, you risk breaking a good half of the products.

Required inventory

To make the cookies themselves you need:

• Baking tray.
• Frying pan.
• Whisk.
• Parchment.
• Sieve.
• Bowl.
• Scapula.
• Spoon.
• Serving saucer.
• Love.
• Patience.

To prepare predictions, you must also get a pen and paper.

Preparation of predictions

Traditionally, Chinese cookies are prepared on the eve of the Chinese New Year - on the night of February 19th. It is believed that if you follow the parting words that got into the cookies, in the new year everything will work out as well as possible. But this type of dessert has become so popular that it is often used for other reasons. Cookies are prepared for all kinds of fun events: for a children's party, bachelorette party or birthday.

Depending on the occasion, you should choose the appropriate predictions. You can find ready-made prophecies on the Internet or come up with your own. It can be poems, riddles, sayings, jokes, wise sayings or magic numbers that will bring good luck. The text can be printed on a printer or written by hand. You can also use colored paper instead of regular paper to make the cookies feel festive. The paper must be cut into thin small strips and write a prediction on them.

Cooking Chinese Fortune Cookies: Recipe with Photo

• First melt the butter. It is best not to melt it completely, but just heat it up slightly, then remove it from the heat and leave it in a hot pan, allowing it to melt on its own.
• Next, take the flour and sift it through a sieve into a bowl.
• Add egg whites and cooled butter to the sifted flour.
• Mix everything thoroughly and bring to a homogeneous mass with a whisk or spatula.
• When the dough is ready, add cinnamon, vanilla, almond essence or a couple of drops of lemon juice for taste. You can experiment with different combinations of spices.

How to bake Chinese fortune cookies

You can bake products both in the oven and in the microwave. If you are a fan of the oven, then it should be preheated to 180 ° C. Chinese fortune cookies should be baked for about ten minutes. If you prefer to save time, use the microwave. The baking time will take less than a minute. In both cases, you don't need to cook more than two cookies at a time, as they cool quickly and become brittle. As a result, it will be simply impossible to wrap a prediction in them. You need to spread the dough on parchment or silicone forms, forming thin pancakes with a diameter of 7-10 cm using a spatula.

Shaping and serving

The hardest part of the Chinese fortune cookie recipe is sealing the messages. This must be done very quickly, as the cooled dough becomes unsuitable formaneuvers. After taking the cookies out of the oven with a spatula, you need to put the message in the center, then fold the workpiece in half and use a glass or the edge of the bowl to give it the shape of the moon. You have to be careful not to burn yourself while doing this. It is best to use a pencil for folding in half. This will allow you not to break the shape and not get burned. Next, let the cookies cool down so that they become crispy. The finished dish can be decorated with chocolate or other confectionery decor. After that, it can be laid out in small saucers and served to guests.

How to decorate pastries

Depending on the occasion of cooking, you can give the cookies different shapes and colors. So, for example, if you want to propose to your beloved, a red heart-shaped cookie with a ring inside is best. For the New Year, you can make the delicacy colorful, pour over icing or chocolate and sprinkle with confectionery powder. For children's holidays, it is worth decorating cookies in various animals: mice, bunnies, chanterelles.

On Valentine's Day, products can be shaped like hearts. For a wedding, hearts in white colors sprinkled with coconut flakes are also suitable. Inside you can seal the wishes and parting words to the young. The photo of Chinese fortune cookies shows some decoration ideas for finished products.

Prophecies and Wishes

If you've ever eaten Chinese fortune cookies and come across something like "be attentive to the signs of fate", then you understand that nothingdid not know anything new. The Chinese love to put in the message meaningless phrases or folk wisdom, which are already known to everyone. A Russian person likes more specific predictions like "a romantic surprise awaits you at the weekend." Also, all kinds of jokes and game elements, such as "your message in another cookie" or "eat me", are great to cheer up.

Here are a few phrases that are perfect for a festive feast:

• Start every day with a smile. Then you will have a good start.
• Whoever wants to sing will always find the right song.
• Kiss the one on the left, he's been waiting for this all year.
• Only dead fish go with the flow.
• Don't worry, be happy:)
• Eat!
• Don't borrow, borrow forever.
• If you put a mirror in the refrigerator, there will be twice as much food.
• It's better to tell the truth on the phone.
• Smile more often.
• Hello from Mars. We are making contact. Remember, this is a secret message. Don't show anyone. Eat it.
• Ringing in the ear - expect good. Itchy nose - wait for the good. Nothing happens - expect good.