Make Fortune Cookies

Celebrate Chinese New Year by making your own fortune cookies. The cookies were originally created by a Japanese family living in North America, to accompany the tea that was served in their tea garden.

Makes 45

Ingredients
* 60g unsalted butter, softened
* 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
* 2 eggwhites, at room temperature
* 1/3 cup (50g) plain flour
* 45 messages on 1 x 5.5cm pieces of paper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place butter and sugar in a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, combine well. Add eggwhites, 1 at a time, stirring until smooth. Stir in flour and a pinch of salt until smooth.

2. Using an 8cm pastry cutter as a guide, trace 4 circles, 4cm apart, on to a sheet of baking paper. Flip paper over and place on a greased oven tray. Using a metric measuring spoon, spoon a slightly rounded tsp of mixture on to each circle. Use the back of a spoon to spread batter to fill circles.

3. Bake for 6-7 minutes or until cookies begin to brown around edges. Working quickly, slide a spatula under each cookie to loosen, then place a message on top of each. Fold hot biscuits in half to enclose, pressing edges together, then bend in half the other way, over the edge of a glass, to create crescent shapes. Hold for a few seconds. Place on a wire rack to cool.

4. Repeat with remaining batter. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes & tips * Cook's tip: Baking paper can be reused up to four times; any more and cookies won't be as smooth.