Fortune Cookies
Makes 16 cookies
2 egg whites
1/2 cup flour (sifted)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp water
Print fortunes (or make your own) and cut them out.
Preheat oven to 400º.
Put egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high until white and frothy (almost soft peaks).
Add flour and mix.
Add sugar, almond extract and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Add water and mix again.
Cookies can be cooked on a silicone baking mat or an ungreased cookie sheet. It's best to cook 2 cookies at a time, so that you can shape the cookies before they cool. You can stagger two cookie sheets to make these faster.
Drop 2 tsp of batter on baking sheet.
Working from the center, spread the batter in a circular motion into a 2 1/2 inch circle.
Bake cookies 6-10 minutes, until the edges are very lightly browned.
Remove cookies from the sheet with a thin spatula.
Flip the cookie over and place slip of paper on top.
Bring sides up and pinch together. The cookies are really hot; I find it easiest to hold them together under a thin flour-sack towel. It takes a moment for them to stick. The lighter the edges, the better they stick together.
Bend cookie over the edge of a cup.
Once your cookie is formed, you can place it in the bottom of the cup to help it keep its shape while cooling.
Let cookies sit out a while to become hard and crunchy, and then place them in an airtight container.
