The fortune cookie may not be as old as one might think. In 1916 a noodle manufacturer in Los Angeles came up with this delightful treat. However his idea did come from the ancient Chinese. In order to exchange covert messages, rebels would print them on small papers and conceal them inside buns. David Jung developed the thin folded cookie we know of today. Instead of hidden military messages he printed the wise words of Confucius.

Fortune Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

1 unbeaten egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup butter

Directions:

1. Combine unbeaten egg white and sugar; mix well until sugar is dissolved. Stir in, one at a time, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Beat until well-blended.

2. Melt butter. Beat the butter into the batter.

3. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls well apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

4. Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Let stand one minute only.

5. While still warm, shape the fortune cookies into hollow tubes by wrapping baked cookies around the handle of a wooden spoon. Slip fortunes inside the cookies and press cookie ends closed.

6. If the cookies cool too quickly, place in a warm oven for a few seconds before shaping.