Homemade fortune cookies (签语饼)
Homemade fortune cookies are thin, crisp cookies shaped by hand while warm and traditionally filled with a small paper fortune. This recipe uses egg whites, sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and flour, with sesame seeds sprinkled on the edges for texture. The batter is spread thin on a baking sheet and baked until golden, then shaped immediately into cookies while hot for proper crispness and the classic curved shape.
Ingredients
- 3 egg about 100g / 3.5oz, white
- 4 tablespoon sugar or to taste
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavouring, see note 1
- 4 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 tablespoon water
- 80 g all-purpose flour ½ cup
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
Preparation
- Write / print fortune messages that you wish to hide inside the cookies.
- Have a baking sheet (If it doesn’t have a non-stick surface, line it with non-stick baking paper / silicon baking mat), a spatular, a mug / glass and a muffin tray at hand.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 355°F (Fan 170°C / 340°F or Gas 4).
Mix the batter
- In a mixing bowl, lightly beat egg whites and sugar until foamy.
- Pour in vanilla extract, melted butter and water. Whip until well incorporated.
- Add in flour. Gently mix and stop as soon as a smooth batter forms (do not overly mix).
Bake the cookies
- Pour a tablespoon of batter onto the baking sheet. Spread with the back of the spoon to form a round, thin disc (about 10cm / 4inches in diameter). Sprinkle sesame seeds around the edge of the disc.
- Repeat the procedure. Make maximum 4 discs at a time (see note 2).
- Transfer the baking sheet into the oven. Bake for 7-8 minutes until the edges brown slightly (see note 3).
Shape the cookies
- Bring the baking sheet out of the oven.
- Quickly flip a disc over with a spatular. Place a fortune message in the middle.
- Fold the disc into a semi-circle. Then quickly place it onto the rim of the mug.
- Push the corners down to shape it into a fortune cookie (Please refer to the tutorial video below).
- Place it in one of the molds of the muffin tray to keep it in shape while cooling. Repeat to finish the rest.
Serve & reheat
- Enjoy when the cookies are completely cool. Or store them in an air-tight container for later consumption.
- If you find the middle of the cookies are not crispy enough when cooled, or your leftover cookies have lost their crunchiness, bake them in a preheated oven at 130°C / 260°F (Fan 120°C / 250° or Gas ½) for 6 minutes or so.
Notes
- Shape cookies immediately after baking while still pliable, as they harden quickly.
- Flavor vanilla can be substituted with rose water, almond extract, or matcha powder for variation.
- Bake only a few cookies at a time to manage shaping before they become brittle.
- Oven performance varies; watch closely to avoid overbaking and ensure light browning.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 18 cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 54
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cookie | |
| Calories | 54kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 2% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 3g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.2g | 1% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 7mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 29mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 16mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 0.2g | 1% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 78IU | 2% |
| Calcium | 6mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.3mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.