How to Take a Fortune Out of a Fortune Cookie

Removing fortunes from fortune cookies is quick and easy.

There are several conflicting notions as to the origin of fortune cookies. According to the website 123 Chinese New Year, one is that fortune cookies were introduced by Makoto Hagiwara in San Francisco in the early 1900s. Today's fortune cookies are vanilla or almond in flavor and served as an obligatory dessert in many Chinese restaurants located in Western countries. These tasty treats come with a fortune written on a small strip of paper hidden inside, which is quite simple to remove by cracking open the cookie. But if you need to be preserve the cookie or just want to be different, there is more than one way to crack this nut.

Things You'll Need

• Fortune cookie
• Paper towel
• Water
• Spray bottle
• Microwave

Instructions

1. Remove the fortune cookie from any packaging.

2. Dampen a paper towel using a spray bottle filled with water. Do not soak the paper towel; it should not be wet enough to drip.

3. Wrap the fortune cookie in the damp paper towel, covering the entire cookie.

4. Microwave the wrapped fortune cookie for 15 to 40 seconds. The actual amount of time varies depending on the microwave.

5. Remove the fortune cookie from the microwave quickly and dispose of the paper towel. The fortune cookie should be flexible due to the heat and moisture. Fold back a section of the fortune cookie, remove the paper fortune slip and close the fortune cookie back up. The fortune cookie will harden and retain its crispness after a short period of time.

Tips & Warnings

• Use this method to insert your own personalized fortunes, or even an engagement ring or small gift of jewelry, into a fortune cookie.

• Exercise caution when using the microwave; the fortune cookie will be hot.

References

• 123 Chinese New Year: History of Fortune Cookies
• Fortune Cookie Supply: Marriage Proposal Fortune Cookie
• Chinese Fortune Cookie: Fortune Cookie History