Guys – I have a big announcement!!! It is with immense joy that I tell you, my friend and blogger buddy, Meggan of Culinary Hill, just had a sweet little baby girl! Joining me in throwing her a bleated ‘virtual baby shower,’ are Allie from Baking a Moment, Mira from Cooking LSL, Janette from Culinary Ginger, Maggie from Omnivore’s Cookbook, Nagi from RecipeTin Eats, and Helen from Scrummy Lane. So please help us wish Meggan and her growing family lots of joy, happiness, and a life filled with wonderful memories.
Fortune cookies are a wonderful way to add a personal touch to any celebration. Did you know that fortune cookies originally came from Kyoto, Japan!? Yeah, neither did I! I was listening to a Ted Talk on the lore of popular Chinese-American dishes, called The Hunt for General Tso. Speaker and author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, Jennifer 8. Lee noted that fortune cookies, something we consider here in America to be uniquely Chinese, are in fact not so. That part I actually knew. What I didn’t know, was that they were invented by Japanese bakers located near the Shinto shrines in Kyoto – the cookies holding random fortunes, a temple tradition.
In Japan they’re larger in size and less sweet, being made with sesame and miso. When Japanese immigrants came to the U.S., bakers also brought the fortune cookie. So how did this go from being a Japanese treat, to a Chinese-American one? Well… during WWII when Japanese-Americans were interned (my father and my grandparents included), the Japanese were no longer around to make the fortune cookies. So production was picked up by the Chinese community. As Lee states, fortune cookies were, “invented by the Japanese, popularized by the Chinese, but ultimately consumed by Americans. They are more American than anything else”.
Fortune Cookies have obviously had numerous incarnations, and one is decorating and customizing them for special events and celebrations. They’re perfect for baby showers, weddings, graduation, Valentines day, etc.
Here are some suggestions:
- 3 eggs white
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- food coloring of your choice (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Write out fortunes or well-wishes on 4x1/2-inch pieces of paper. Line 2 baking sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine the egg whites, almond extract, and lemon extract. Beat until foamy, but do not allow peaks to form.
- Stir in the butter. Then sift in the flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl. Mix until fully incorporated. If you would like to add food coloring, add 2 - 4 drops at this point.
- Working with only one baking sheet at a time, place a level tablespoon of the batter onto the prepared sheet pan. Using the back of the spoon, spread the batter out to a thin layer, approximately 3-inches in diameter. (Only make 2 - 3 at a time, as you'll need to shape them quickly once they come out of the oven). Bake for 7 - 9 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown. While one batch is baking, prepare the 2nd sheet.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and quickly work with one cookie at a time. Using a spatula, move the cookie to a plate. Fold in half with a fortune inside. Lightly pinch the edges and then bend the flat side of the half-moon down over the rim of a cup.
- Place the completed cookie in the cup of a muffin tin so it will keep its shape until cooled.
- ½ cup confectionary sugar
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 ounces sprinkles
- Sift the confectionary sugar into a small bowl. Add the corn syrup, vanilla extract, and water. Stir until fully combined.
- Dip one half of the cooled fortune cookie into the icing - use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the cookie, if needed. Sprinkle the sprinkles over the iced portion of the cookie and set on a plate to allow to dry.
oh my goodness! I LOVE that you made fortune cookies! I’ve always wanted to try to make these on my own!!! Pinned!!
Thanks, Alice! You should totally give them a try – they’re surprising easy to make! 🙂
So, so beautiful! I am blown away by the sweetness of these fortune cookies! What a perfect cookie for a baby shower, and now I see for so many other wonderful milestone events, as well! Great job, Kathleen!!
Aww… thanks, Annie! That’s so sweet of you to say 🙂
These are so, so beautiful, and I love learning the history behind them! I always knew fortune cookies were not really Chinese, but I had no idea they were in fact Japanese. Now I really want to try the sesame/miso version!
Thanks, Allie!
I know right!? The sesame/miso version sounds delicious!
Kathleen, I had no idea even that it was possible to make your own fortune cookies … these are like little masterpieces! I just love the pretty sprinkles and that you can put your own personalised messages inside. Meggan will love these – they’re so perfect for a baby shower!
Aww… thanks, Helen! The personalized messages are a lot of fun! I’m sure you could get pretty cheeky with them, if the occasion called for it 😉
awww, what a sweet tribute! These fortune cookies are amazing! I’d never considered making them from scratch!
Thanks, Mirissa. They’re actually pretty easy once you get the hang of them 🙂
Never thought of homemade fortune cookies, but now I fell I might even attempt to make them! These are beautiful Kathleen! Love them! Great for our virtual baby shower!!! Never knew they originated from Japan! Pinning because these need to be seen!
That’s very sweet of you, Mira! I’m so glad that you like them. Thank you 🙂
I just can’t get over how every single recipe of yours that lands in my inbox makes my jaw drop. I had a fleeting thought about making fortune cookies a couple of months ago and demised it as “must be too hard, how on earth would you get the paper inside?”. I see this, it clicks instantly.
I am honestly floored by how creative you are. I simply have no idea how you come up with these ideas. These are BRILLIANT. I want to shout it from the rooftops! Instead, plastering it all over social media will have to suffice 🙂
Aww…Nagi, you seriously make me blush 🙂 I’m so flattered that you think so well of my food, as you’re food is so amazing! The fortune cookies really aren’t very difficult – you just have to work quickly once they come out of the oven. Funny story, I must had been working WAY too long in the kitchen because I started off folding them in the wrong direction over the rim of the cup, so they all cracked. I was literally throwing cracked fortune cookies across the kitchen and cursing. Then I realized my error, and the rest of them turned out beautifully! 😉
These fortune cookies are so gorgeous, Kathleen! You girls are all so sweet to think of me during this joyous time in my life. There’s nothing I’d rather do than dive into a huge bowl of your fortune cookies. I especially love the pink ones! Thank you again for helping me welcome Charlotte. 🙂
Oh you’re so welcome, Meggan! I wish you, your family, and baby Charlotte, all the best! 🙂
These are the most beautiful fortune cookies I’ve ever seen Kathleen!
It’s really interesting to read the story behind it. Me too, I know it’s not a Chinese thing (never saw these here!) but didn’t know it’s originated from japan. The miso flavor sounds definitely interesting. Next time when I travel to Japan, I’ll keep an eye on these cookies 🙂
Love the decoration banners btw, great idea!
Aww…. thank you, Maggie. That’s so sweet of you to say! I agree, I think the miso flavor cookie sounds really interesting – I’ll have to try and make those next time. Let me know if you find any next time you travel to Japan 🙂