Five Spice Fortune Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a small bowl, combine the ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise, and sugar.
• 2. Cut the chilled log into twenty 1/2-inch rounds. Dip one cut surface of each round into the spice mixture and arrange the rounds 2 inches apart on all sides on a parchment-lined or nonstick cookie sheet or sheets.
• 3. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cookies with a spatula and cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C).
• Add the egg whites and vanilla extract to a medium bowl and use a whisk or hand mixer to beat until frothy, about 1 minute.
• Sift in the flour, sugar, and salt through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Using a spatula, gently incorporate into the batter until paste-like.
• Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the batter is smooth and falls into ribbons when the spatula is picked up.
• Place 1 tablespoon of batter onto a silpat-lined baking sheet and spread into a 3-inch (7-cm) circle.
• Repeat with another tablespoon of batter, making sure to only leave two circles on the silpat.
• Bake for 8 minutes, until the edges become golden brown.
• Working quickly, use a spatula to remove the cookies from the pan. Add a fortune in the middle, fold the cookies in half, then place the flat side on the lip of a cup, folding the edges down into a fortune cookie shape. Place the folded fortune cookies in a mini muffin tin until cooled to retain their shape.
• Repeat with remaining batter.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add spices and toast, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool. If using the whole spices for a braise, they are ready to go.
• To make the spices into a powder, use a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle to grind the spices until fine. If you like, you can strain the mix through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any coarse bits, but this is optional. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

Steps:

• Write fortunes on strips of paper.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 400°F. Butter a 6-inch-wide strip lengthwise across middle of 2 baking sheets (from one short side to the other).
• Sift together flour, five-spice powder, and a pinch of salt into a bowl and stir in sugar.
• Whisk egg whites in a bowl just until foamy. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Put 2 teaspoons batter on 1 side of buttered area of 1 baking sheet and spread evenly into a round about 3 1/2 inches in diameter using back of a spoon or a small offset spatula. Place 2 teaspoons more batter on other half of buttered area and form another round.
• Bake rounds until golden around edge and paler gold in center, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove rounds from oven and, working quickly, flip 1 cookie over on baking sheet with a spatula. Transfer same cookie to a work surface, then put a fortune in center of inverted cookie and fold cookie in half (cookie will be hot). Lift up cookie with both hands by corners and press center of folded bottom edge perpendicularly against the edge of a countertop, making a crease. Continue folding in same direction to bring corners together to create a C shape. Hold for a few seconds while cookie cools and shape sets, then set aside to cool. Quickly invert and fold second hot cookie, this time working on baking sheet to keep cookie warm and malleable.
• Make 2 more cookies in same manner on second buttered baking sheet, then continue with remaining batter, using a buttered cool baking sheet for each batch.
• *Available at Asian markets and specialty foods shops.