holidaylunar new yeardessert
Written By Skinny Beets LLC
Makes: 12-14 cookies
Takes: 15-20 minutes
Bakes at: 375F
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In our household, we’ve been making ‘take in’ for years now and our favorite is always gluten free Chinese food, made in our kitchen. Things like egg fried rice, tea eggs (always for us on Lunar New Year), mixed stir fried vegetables in gluten free soy sauce and a touch of rice wine vinegar and brown sugar and other go to takeaway goodies are fun to whip up and put in old fashioned Chinese take away boxes. But there was always something that we missed… those beautiful, sweet and crisp fortune cookies to finish off our meal and dunk in our tea.
Learn how you can easily make your own gluten free fortune cookies at home for any occasion and celebrate in style!
What are fortune cookies?
Fortune cookies are crisp, sweet, and often slightly vanilla-flavored cookies that are commonly served in Chinese restaurants. They are known for containing a small fortune inside, often on rice paper, which usually contains a piece of wisdom, a vague prediction, or a phrase that is meant to be a "fortune." These messages are often seen as lighthearted and entertaining rather than serious predictions.
Fortune cookies are typically enjoyed as a fun and customary part of the dining experience in many American Chinese restaurants and are often in stores around the Lunar New Year so people can celebrate as they like at home.
A little history of fortune cookies
Who knew this little cookie had such a debated past and origin. There are so many theories - all of which are believable . One theory is that fortune cookies as we know them are thought to have been ‘created’ as a Chinese-American adaptation of something more ancient. In particular, California claims the origins of the modern fortune cookie as we know it, with Makoto Hagiwara, introducing fortune cookies to the United States in the early 1900’s. At least, that’s one theory!
Another man, David Jung, who founded the Hong Kong Noodle Company in Los Angeles, claimed to have invented the cookie in 1918. There’s a great little history about it on Fancy Fortune Cookies HERE. The website has all of the top theories and is very fun supplier of all kinds of fortune cookies (though I have yet to see a certified gluten free fortune cookie offered on their website, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time).
Why is there a need for gluten free fortune cookies?
Chances are, you already know the answer to this one, but just in case you’re new here, let’s lay it out on the table. Gluten-free fortune cookies are specifically needed for individuals who have gluten sensitivity, gluten-free fortune cookies are important for certain individuals. Here’s the low down…
Celiac Disease: People with celiac disease have an autoimmune response to gluten, causing damage to the small intestine. Consuming gluten can lead to various health issues, and individuals with celiac disease must strictly adhere to a strict gluten-free diet. Fortune cookies made without gluten-containing ingredients provide a safe option for those with celiac disease.
Gluten Sensitivity: Some individuals may experience gluten sensitivity, which is a condition where the consumption of gluten can cause symptoms similar to those of celiac disease but without the autoimmune response. People with gluten sensitivity also benefit from gluten-free products, including fortune cookies.
Wheat Allergy: A wheat allergy is an immune system response to proteins found in wheat, including gluten. Individuals with a wheat allergy need to avoid wheat-containing products, and gluten-free fortune cookies offer a suitable alternative. While it’s still an immune response, it’s not the same as the autoimmune response where the body starts attacking its own organs and tissues.
Dietary Preferences: Some people choose a gluten-free diet as a lifestyle choice or for various health reasons unrelated to celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Gluten-free fortune cookies cater to individuals with these dietary preferences.
Why you should make your own gluten free fortune cookies
Making your own fortune cookies can be a fun and tasty activity for several reasons:
Customization: When you make your own fortune cookies, you have the freedom to customize the flavor, ingredients, and even the messages inside. You can create unique combinations that suit your taste preferences and dietary restrictions. There is little chance for cross-contamination if you’re baking in your own kitchen!
Personalized Messages: You can add a personal touch by crafting your own messages for the fortunes inside the cookies. This allows you to tailor the messages to a specific occasion, event, making these sweet treats even more sweet with a message to suit the individual opening the cookie (just don’t mix up your messages and accidentally ask your sister to marry you).
Freshness: Homemade fortune cookies can be enjoyed at their freshest. Store-bought versions may have a longer shelf life (and taste a little sickly), but the homemade ones are packed full of flavor.
Creative Expression: Making fortune cookies is a creative and hands-on process. It allows you to experiment with different shapes, colors, and decorations. This can be a great activity for those who enjoy baking and want to express their creativity in the kitchen.
Gifts and Special Occasions: Homemade fortune cookies make thoughtful and personalized gifts for special occasions. You can create batches of cookies with customized messages for birthdays, weddings, or other celebrations, adding a personal touch to your gifts.
Quality Control: When you make your own fortune cookies, you have control over the quality of ingredients used. You can choose high-quality and fresh ingredients, ensuring a better overall taste and potentially catering to specific dietary needs, such as gluten-free or vegan options.
Fun Activity: Making fortune cookies can be a fun and engaging activity, especially if done with friends or family. It can turn into a social event or a bonding experience, and everyone can participate in shaping the cookies and writing the fortunes.
Surprise Element: There's a joy in cracking open a homemade fortune cookie and discovering a personalized message inside. The surprise element adds to the overall enjoyment of the experience.
Our ingredients in gluten free fortune cookies
Gluten-free white flour - we always opt for King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour (aff) as it tastes amazing and always gives us excellent results in all our gluten free baking. If you prefer a different flour, you can use that instead, as long as it’s a gluten free baking flour, you’ll be good to go. We also add almond flour to the mix which gives the cookie a nice consistency and extra flavor!
Egg whites (or egg-white replacer) - the egg whites allow the mixture to bind but also gives the cookies a good structure. Chickpea powder can be used as an egg white powder and you’ll get the same results, so this cookie can be made vegan too and taste just as good.
Sweetener - We swap out traditional refined sugar for low FODMAP and delicious pure maple syrup. Real maple syrup is more than just a sweet treat. Packed with essential minerals like manganese, zinc, and calcium, it provides a natural source of nutrients that can support overall health and wellbeing. Not only that, but it also contains antioxidants that help fight inflammation and protect against cell damage. If you want to learn more about why we use pure maple syrup, be sure to check out or blog on the subject HERE.
Vanilla or Almond Extract - we love the extra almond-like flavors that these cookies can have when almond extract is used instead of vanilla. However, if you’re also having almond cookies in the same setting, use the vanilla extract so the two cookies taste more distinctly different from one another.
Coconut oil - this is really our favorite to use in place of lard, butter or shortening. It gives the cookie a nice crunch and it tastes amazing. Don’t worry, your cookies won’t taste of coconut at all! If you’re really worried about coconut flavor (a particular family member of mine still doesn’t believe I use coconut oil in my cooking because she constantly tells me she would know if I did) then you can use refined coconut oil instead.
A bit of water - the water helps bind the mixture together.
That’s it! It’s nice to be able to pronounce all the ingredients in a gluten free cookie (good luck reading the ingredients list in the store-bought versions). If you are having trouble sourcing good gluten free ingredients, be sure to stop by our SHOP GLUTEN FREE page and get what you need with the click of a button!
The recipe
So, without further ado, here’s a recipe modified from the traditional to become gluten free and just as wonderful. Pair these with almond cookies if you’re going to go all out at a celebration!
You will need:
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
whites of 3 large eggs (vegans, substitute chickpea powder here)
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 tsp almond (or vanilla) extract
3 tbsp water
2/3 cup gf measure for measure flour
1/4 cup almond flour
fortunes (either store bought or hand written)
a chopstick to help with folding
Method
Add all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, then in a separate bowl, add the wet and mix them on high for about 2 minutes or until the eggs (or chickpea powder) are smooth and a little frothy. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold them together with a wooden spoon or cake spatula. The batter should be a similar consistency as a slightly runny pancake batter.
Once blended, scoop out one spoonful at a time and place each scoop (about 1 tablespoon per scoop) on a well greased baking sheet. Allow loads of room between each scoop of batter as they will expand another inch at least while cooking. Use the back of the spoon to flatten each pile of batter so it forms a 2 inch diameter across circle. Do try to make the cookies as evenly flat as possible as this will help even out baking of each cookie.
Cook the batter when it’s in the flattened circle for 7-8 minutes on an oven set to 375F. Keep an eye on them and don’t let them get too dark or they will be too stiff to fold. Take them out when they are just beginning to turn golden at the edges.
Once they’re cool enough to handle, you’ll be folding your fortunes inside of them. Use a chopstick to help you get the perfect fold.
Do make sure you have your fortunes out and ready for when the cookies come out of the oven. There’s nothing worse than making the perfect fortune cookie then realizing too late that you have no fortune to slip in before the cookie hardens.
Folding:
First, place the fortune in the center, horizontally. Then, fold the cookie gently in half, allowing it to curl over the fortune. Now, gently (emphasis on gently) slide the chopstick out as you bring the two edges together (like curving horns) and slip it into a muffin tin slot to hold its shape as it cools.
Now just do the same to the rest! Work quickly, but carefully. If any breaks happen, they’re still as tasty, so just keep folding away until you have all the cookie disks folded and fortuned, then eat any broken ones (or use as ice cream toppers at a later date).
If the cookies are soft after folding, you can put them back in the oven at a warm temperature (up to 230) to allow them to crisp without burning.
And that’s it! It may take a few tries to get the cookies to your ideal consistency, but don’t give up. These are so much fun to make and eat and are so much fun for the whole family or a gathering of friends.
For those perfectionists out there, be patient. It will take some time for them to resemble the cookies you’re used to. Forgive yourself the odd crack or other imperfection. You’re not a machine… .
Enjoy!
Editor’s note: We aim to make delicious gluten free recipes, but we’re also catering to those who have additional health needs. Those who have celiac, also often suffer from lactose intolerance (we found out the hard way!) which is why our ingredients are usually milk-free. Sensitive guts have a hard time with traditional sweeteners and rich butter, which is why again, we swap these out for a healthier alternative. If you want to know more about celiac disease, you can visit these amazing websites which have helped our family immeasurably. Beyond Celiac has some amazing resources that we go back to often and Celiac.org is our resource for new and old celiac research. They are both working hard to find a cure to celiac disease and have some great additional links. Also, speak to you doctor if you think you might have celiac disease or something similar.
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