Make Your Own Fortune Cookies

Culinary Skills and Creative Writing Combined

Even better than the baking: DIY fortunes are limited only by your imagination and how much you and your kids can squeeze onto those little slips of paper.

Last week was a busy one for the several young bakers who joined me for a weeklong dessert extravaganza called The Global Cookie Jar.

In the course of five days, we sped across continents (from the confines of our kitchen classroom, at least), fine-tuning techniques as we learned about various cuisines and merrily munched our way through all manner of sweet little treats.

When the last morning arrived, I announced to my fellow cookie travelers that I wanted to wrap up the week with a recipe that in some ways would strike them as very different, yet also quite familiar.

“Who here has eaten a fortune cookie?” I asked, then watched as 15 different hands shot up in the air.

“As I suspected,” I said. “But who here has ever made their own?” I was the only one who raised my hand that time.

But why not? It’s a project that’s fun and creative—and full of surprises. I’m not just speaking literally of the delightful do-it-yourself fortunes tucked inside, but also the history of a cookie with origins that are decidedly not Chinese. Read on for my kid-tested recipe and a little bit about the great story behind it.