How to Fold Fortune Cookies

Folding fortune cookies requires quick hands.

The phrase "food for thought" could have easily been inspired by the chosen dessert cookie handed out at Chinese restaurants. The crunchy, fortune-holding snacks are a light, sweet way to finish a meal. They are fairly easy to cook, but the folding is a little bit tricky. You need to cook only a couple at a time so they don't cool before you get a chance to fold them.

Instructions

1. Cut strips of paper about 3 inches long and a 1/2-inch wide. These will be your fortunes. Write various fortunes on the strips of paper. Write anything you like. The fortunes can be silly, odd or inspiring.

2. Mix the cookie batter according to the instructions. Drop the cookie batter by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.

3. Bake only 2 to 6 cookies at a time, according to the recipe, so you have time to fold them before they cool.

4. Remove the cookies from the oven and slide cookies off the sheet one at a time using a wide spatula. Make sure the spatula is wide enough to hold the entire cookie, or else it may crack or break if part of the cookie is hanging off the edge of the spatula.

5. Lay a fortune on the flattened cookie in the middle. Fold the cookie in half so it covers the fortune. You must do this while the cookie is hot to avoid breaking the cookie when folding it.

6. Fold the cookie in half again, so the corners meet up. You can fold the cookie over the edge of a bowl to make a nicer crease in the middle of the cookie, rather than trying to freehand fold the cookie.

7. Place the cookie in a muffin tin to help the cookie keep its shape while it is cooling. The muffin tin will constrict the area around the cookie, keeping it folded during the cooling process.

Tips & Warnings

• If the cookies cool too quickly, return them to the oven for a couple minutes to reheat them, then try folding them again.

• Make the fortune cookies fancier by dipping the edges in melted chocolate after the cookies have cooled.

• Don't cook too many cookies at once, or they may cool too fast for you to be able to fold them.