Home-made Fortune Cookies

Fortune cookies are a fun way to end a family meal, and easily
bought in most Chinese supermarkets. But they are also fun to make - and if you
make them yourself you will be able to add your own "fortunes" (or get the kids
to write some out to include, which is sure to get them giggling).
Ingredients (makes 12):
1 egg white
Tiny amount of vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
Directions:
Write your fortunes on strips of white paper approximately 4
inches by 1/2 inch.
Preheat the oven to 400F (200C, Gas Mark 5), and grease two
cookie sheets.
Beat the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift
the flour, salt, and sugar and fold gently into the egg white mixture.
Place a teaspoonful of the batter onto one of the prepared
cookie sheets, and tilt the sheet to encourage the batter to form into a nice
round shape about 3 inches in diameter. Repeat, leaving at least 2 inches
between the cookies, and sticking to no more than 2 or 3 per sheet as you will
need to work with them quickly while they are hot.
Put the first sheet into the oven and bake for about 5
minutes, watching carefully, until the cookie has turned a golden color around
the outer edge of the circle (the center should remain pale; see the photo
above). While you are waiting, prepare the next cookie sheet.
Once cooked, remove from oven and very quickly lift one of the
cookies with a spatula or fish slice and turn upside down onto a wooden board.
Place the fortune in the middle of the cookie and fold the cookie in half. Place
the folded edge across the rim of a cup or glass and pull the pointed edges
down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Stand the folded
cookies in the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton until they cool so that they
hold their shape.
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