Debbie Richards
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. ginger, minced
1 TBSP. garlic chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup Dark brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 lb. flank steak
1/4 cup corn starch
2 large green onions
Put the oil in a skillet over med heat. Add ginger and garlic to the pan. Quickly add the soy sauce and water. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium high and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.
Slice the flank steak against the grain into thin strips. If you tilt your knife at a 45 degree angle, the strips are wider. Dip the steak into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides. Place the steak on a cookie sheet. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes.
Heat 1 cup of oil over medium heat until it's hot but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and saute for just two minutes, or just until the beef starts to darken on the edges. Use a slotted spoon to take the meat out and put it on paper towels. Pour the oil out of the skillet.
Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back in. Add the sauce, cook for one minute, then add all the green onions. Cook for one more minute then remove the beef and onions with slotted spoon and put in a serving dish. Leave excess sauce behind.
Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Roast (Chinese BBQ)
Jenny Nyholm
1/4 cup soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sacue
3 TB ketchup
3 TB honey
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
½ tsp. five-spice powder
2 lbs. boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed
½ cup chicken broth
Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place in a freezer bag, add pork to bag, and seal. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.
Place pork and marinade in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove pork from slow cooker using slotted spoon; place on a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Add broth to sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 30 min. or until sauce thickens. Shred pork with 2 forks; serve with sauce over rice.
Katsudon (Japanese pork chops)
Maria Thomas
1TBSP sugar
1TBSP soysauce
1 C boiling water
sliced onion
porkchops
eggs
flour
crackers
oil
Cut small pieces of pork chop. cover with flour, egg, crushed crackers and deep fry.
Mix together sugar, soy, onion and boiling water. Add pork and cook until juice is absorbed. Pour beaten eggs over the top and cook until eggs are done.
Nasi Lemak
Maija-Liisa Adams
300g long grain rice
2 shallots
2 slices ginger
1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds (halba)
1 tsp salt
375-400 ml coconut milk (from 1/2 a grated coconut)
2 pandan leaves, knotted
Wash rice until clean then drain. Put rice, shallots, ginger, fenugreek and salt in a rice cooker. Pour coconut milk over the rice. (The level of the coconut milk should be 2cm above the level of the rice.) Cook rice until dry then use a wooden ladle to loosen the grains.
Sprinkle the rest of the coconut milk over the rice. Give it a stir with a pair of chopsticks to distribute the milk evenly. Stand for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the rice to absorb the coconut milk. Keep rice warm before serving with other condiments.
Sambal Ikan Bilis: OPTIONAL...He suggests "serve the rice with just the Rendang below", but I'll include it, in case you want to try it.
1 bombay onion
1/2 cup dried ikan bilis (anchovies)
1 clove garlic
2 tbsps tamarind juice
4 shallots
8 dried chillies
Prawn paste (belacan) (Optional)
Salt and sugar to taste
Method
Fry the ikan bilis until crisp and put aside. Grind the prawn paste together with shallots, garlic, deseeded dried chilies. Slice the bombay onion into rings. Heat 2 table spoons oil in a pan and fry the ground ingredients until fragrant.
Add in the onion rings. Add tamarind juice, salt, sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally until the gravy thickens. Add in the ikan bilis and mix well. Serve with steaming hot Nasi Lemak.
Beef Rendang (Beef Chunks cooked in coconut milk)
Ingredients:
600g beef topside, cubed
Grind together:
4 tbsp chilli boh
7 shallots
5 cloves garlic
4cm piece ginger
2 onions
4 stalks lemon grass, finely sliced
3cm piece galangal (blue ginger)
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp fennel powder
1 litre thick coconut milk (extract from four grated coconuts)
1 litre water
1/2 cup kerisik (pounded dry-fried grated coconut)
1 tbsp finely-shredded daun limau purut (lime leaves)
Seasoning:
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp brown sugar or to taste
Method
Combine beef, coconut milk, water and ground ingredients in a deep saucepan. Simmer over low heat for one and a half to two hours until beef turns tender. Add kerisik and continue to cook until the gravy turns thick and dry. Add seasoning and daun limau purut. Cook until beef is almost dry.
Massaman Curry
Sarah d’Evegnee
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced lemon grass
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons red curry paste or more if you like it
spicier
16 ounces chicken broth
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon white sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons read chili paste
2 teaspoons cumin or coriander (whichever one you have)
1 (13.5 ounce) can reduced-fat coconut milk
1-2 chicken breasts, cut in thin slices
horizontally and then cut into 2 inch pieces
OR ½ cup peeled and deveined medium
shrimp OR thinly sliced flank steak
1-2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
with crinkle cutter.
1-2 carrots, peeled and cut into slices with
crinkle cutter.
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ cup unsalted cashews
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and carrots. Boil until almost cooked through—about 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken or beef and cook for 5-6 minutes. Stir in garlic, lemon grass, cumin, chili paste, and ginger; cook and stir until aromatic, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the curry paste, and cook 30 seconds more. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, and stir until the curry paste has dissolved, then pour in the remaining chicken stock along with the soy sauce and sugars. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
Stir in coconut milk, lime juice, cilantro, cashews and shrimp (if that was your meat choice). Increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until the shrimp turn pink and are no longer translucent, about 5 minutes.
Garnish with green onion and crushed cashews (optional) Serve over jasmin rice.
Japanese Curry
Christine Gilbert
This is a recipe that Clark learned to make as missionary in Japan. It is a staple in our home. Our kids love it (especially when it is sweet) and it fills all of us up on a cold winters night. The best part is, it is SO easy to make and will be ready even before the rice is finished steaming!
1 chicken breast, ½ lb stew meat or pork: cut into cubes
1 potato: cut into cubes (I don’t peel it but you can)
1 carrot (or a bunch of baby carrots): cut into cubes
1 onion cut into cubes
1 apple cut into cubes
1 S & B pack of curry chopped-up (bought in Asian section of supermarket)
Honey
Brown sugar
Salt & Pepper
In a saucepan, sauté the onion in a little oil. When soft, add the meat and sauté until browned (sprinkle with salt and pepper). When meat is browned, add potatoes and carrots. Add four cups of water, making sure that everything’s covered. Bring to boil then simmer until meat is tender. Skim off any foam that might gather on top of the boiling mixture. Add apples and pack of curry. Stir until the curry has melted and blended well. Continue simmering until thick. Sweeten it up with honey or brown sugar if you want. Serve with rice.
Yaki Udon
Stephanie Fay
Heat :
4 oz veg. oil in wok or skillet
Brown 1 lb chicken breast
1 cup onion
Add
1 cup carrots
1 cup green pepper
1 cup zucchini
1 cup yellow squash
Mushrooms
Cook about 10 min.
Add
1 lb (package) Udon Noodles (back corner of Albertsons by vegetables)
Pour soy sauce over top
add about 3-4 tbls of sugar to taste
Serve immediately
Can try using broccoli or other vegetables
Oyako Donburi (sweet chicken and rice)
Kelly Eyring
Oyako means parent and child which refers to the use of both chicken and egg to make this delicious rice dish. This isn't beautiful, but it is really tasty
Serves about 8
2 chicken breasts
2 medium onions sliced
6 eggs
4 cups cooked sticky rice
1 1/2 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups water
Put all the seasonings into a 9x13 pan mix well
put in the sliced onions. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and add to the pan. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 min or until the chicken is cooked
mix eggs and pour over the mixture in the pan and put back in the oven until the eggs are done
Serve in deeper bowls over rice
If you have nori (sea weed or tasty "laver") cut into small pieces and put on the oyako donburi
Thai Chicken Bowls Mindy Sutherland
8 chicken breasts, cubed 2 cloves crushed garlic ½ cup chopped onion
2 stalks sliced celery
2 t grated ginger root
1 t five spice powder
½ t salt
1 T lemon juice
1 t hot sauce
28 oz chicken broth
1 head cauliflower
Flour or cornstarch
6 T sliced carrots
6 T chopped cilantro
Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with first 6 ingredients listed after chicken. Combine hot sauce and broth and put in cooker. Cook for 5-6 hours on low. Shred cauliflower in processor and microwave for 6 minutes. Thicken sauce with small amount of flour and cornstarch.
Chicken Pad Tai
1 (13.5 ounce) can reduced-fat coconut milk
1-2 chicken breasts, cut in thin slices
horizontally and then cut into 2 inch pieces
OR ½ cup peeled and deveined medium
shrimp OR thinly sliced flank steak
1-2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
with crinkle cutter.
1-2 carrots, peeled and cut into slices with
crinkle cutter.
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ cup unsalted cashews
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and carrots. Boil until almost cooked through—about 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken or beef and cook for 5-6 minutes. Stir in garlic, lemon grass, cumin, chili paste, and ginger; cook and stir until aromatic, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the curry paste, and cook 30 seconds more. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, and stir until the curry paste has dissolved, then pour in the remaining chicken stock along with the soy sauce and sugars. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
Stir in coconut milk, lime juice, cilantro, cashews and shrimp (if that was your meat choice). Increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until the shrimp turn pink and are no longer translucent, about 5 minutes.
Garnish with green onion and crushed cashews (optional) Serve over jasmin rice.
Japanese Curry
Christine Gilbert
This is a recipe that Clark learned to make as missionary in Japan. It is a staple in our home. Our kids love it (especially when it is sweet) and it fills all of us up on a cold winters night. The best part is, it is SO easy to make and will be ready even before the rice is finished steaming!
1 chicken breast, ½ lb stew meat or pork: cut into cubes
1 potato: cut into cubes (I don’t peel it but you can)
1 carrot (or a bunch of baby carrots): cut into cubes
1 onion cut into cubes
1 apple cut into cubes
1 S & B pack of curry chopped-up (bought in Asian section of supermarket)
Honey
Brown sugar
Salt & Pepper
In a saucepan, sauté the onion in a little oil. When soft, add the meat and sauté until browned (sprinkle with salt and pepper). When meat is browned, add potatoes and carrots. Add four cups of water, making sure that everything’s covered. Bring to boil then simmer until meat is tender. Skim off any foam that might gather on top of the boiling mixture. Add apples and pack of curry. Stir until the curry has melted and blended well. Continue simmering until thick. Sweeten it up with honey or brown sugar if you want. Serve with rice.
Yaki Udon
Stephanie Fay
Heat :
4 oz veg. oil in wok or skillet
Brown 1 lb chicken breast
1 cup onion
Add
1 cup carrots
1 cup green pepper
1 cup zucchini
1 cup yellow squash
Mushrooms
Cook about 10 min.
Add
1 lb (package) Udon Noodles (back corner of Albertsons by vegetables)
Pour soy sauce over top
add about 3-4 tbls of sugar to taste
Serve immediately
Can try using broccoli or other vegetables
Oyako Donburi (sweet chicken and rice)
Kelly Eyring
Oyako means parent and child which refers to the use of both chicken and egg to make this delicious rice dish. This isn't beautiful, but it is really tasty
Serves about 8
2 chicken breasts
2 medium onions sliced
6 eggs
4 cups cooked sticky rice
1 1/2 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups water
Put all the seasonings into a 9x13 pan mix well
put in the sliced onions. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and add to the pan. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 min or until the chicken is cooked
mix eggs and pour over the mixture in the pan and put back in the oven until the eggs are done
Serve in deeper bowls over rice
If you have nori (sea weed or tasty "laver") cut into small pieces and put on the oyako donburi
Thai Chicken Bowls Mindy Sutherland
8 chicken breasts, cubed 2 cloves crushed garlic ½ cup chopped onion
2 stalks sliced celery
2 t grated ginger root
1 t five spice powder
½ t salt
1 T lemon juice
1 t hot sauce
28 oz chicken broth
1 head cauliflower
Flour or cornstarch
6 T sliced carrots
6 T chopped cilantro
Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with first 6 ingredients listed after chicken. Combine hot sauce and broth and put in cooker. Cook for 5-6 hours on low. Shred cauliflower in processor and microwave for 6 minutes. Thicken sauce with small amount of flour and cornstarch.
Chicken Pad Tai
Rachel Helfrich
8 oz rice noodles ¼ cup finely chopped peanuts ½ tsp grated lime peel 3 Tbs fish sauce 2 Tbs fresh lime juice 2 Tbs packed brown sugar 4 ½ tsp rice vinegar 1 tsp (or to taste)chili paste 3 Tbs cooking oil 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized strips 1 Tbs finely chopped garlic 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 cup fresh sprouts 1/3 cup sliced green onion 2 Tbs snipped fresh cilantro
Place noodles in a large bowl. Add enough hot tap water to cover: let stand for 10 to 15 minutes or until pliable but not soft. Drain well.
Meanwhile, for peanut topping, combine peanuts and lime peel; set aside. In a small bowl combine fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and chile paste; stir until smooth. Set aside
In a 12-inch skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and garlic: cook and stir for 6 minutes until chicken is tender and no pink remains. Transfer to a bowl.
Add egg to the hot skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Turn egg with spatula and cook for 30 to 60 seconds more, just until set. Remove and chop egg: set aside.
In the same skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over high heat for 30 seconds. Add drained noodles and sprouts: stir fry for 2 minutes. Add fish sauce mixture and chicken; cook 1to 2 minutes more until heated through. Divide noodle mixture among four plates. Sprinkle each serving with egg and peanut topping. Garnish with green onion and cilantro. Makes 4 servings.
Pork-Peanut Stir Fry
Caryn Esplin
Cut up 4 pork loin chops (boneless) into strips (2 in x 1/2 in.) and stir fry until done.
Dice/slice and stir-fry your favorite veggies over high heat:1 c. onions, 2 c. mushrooms, 1 c. peppers, 1 c. zucchini, 1 c. carrots, etc. (even peas)
Combine and season with salt, pepper, and Tony Cachera’s seasoning (or any garlicy-onion season-all)
Heat and stir theses ingredients to make a sauce:
1/2 c. pineapple-apricot jam (or peach jam)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 T. lemon juice or vinegar
1/2 c. honey mustard BBQ sauce
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can pineapple tidbits with enough of the liquid to make a pourable sauce
Optional: 1/2 c. vinagrette dressing
Pour the sauce over the meat/veggies. Stir it in slightly. Top with mandarin oranges, and peanuts, and voila’!
Serve with warm brown rice
Fortune Cookies
Jann Johnson
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 teaspoons water
Preparation:
1. Write fortunes on pieces of paper that are 3 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 9-X-13 inch baking sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg white, vanilla extract, almond extract and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff.
3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into a separate bowl. Stir the water into the flour mixture.
4. Add the flour into the egg white mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. The batter should not be runny, but should drop easily off a wooden spoon.
Note: if you want to dye the fortune cookies, add the food coloring at this point, stirring it into the batter. For example, I used 1/2 teaspoon green food coloring to make green fortune cookies.
5. Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Gently tilt the baking sheet back and forth and from side to side so that each tablespoon of batter forms into a circle 4 inches in diameter.
6. Bake until the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (14 - 15 minutes).
7. Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula and flip it over in your hand. Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie. To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass, wooden spoon or the edge of a muffin tin. Place the finished cookie in the cup of the muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue with the rest of the cookies.
1. Make Up the Fortunes Ahead of Time
This will give you more time to compose the messages. The strips of paper used should be 3 to 3 1/2 inches long and no more than 1/2-inch wide.
2. Use Cold Baking Sheets
Fortune cookies tend to turn out best when you start with a cold (and greased) baking sheet. Since most recipes make more cookies than can be placed on one 9 X 13-inch baking sheet (the cookies spread out during baking), it’s best to use two baking sheets. That way, you don’t need to wait for the sheet to cool down before baking the next batch of cookies.
3. Cookie Size: Larger is Better
Many fortune cookie recipes call for making a 3-inch cookie. A cookie this size is more difficult to work with and fold than a slightly larger (3 1/2 - 4-inch) cookie. Another plus is that the larger cookie fits snugly into the cup of a muffin tin. This saves you from having to hold the cookie for several seconds after folding, to make sure it keeps its shape. My own preference is to use one level tablespoon of batter to make a 4-inch cookie.
4. Tilt the Baking Sheet to Spread the Batter
The key to making fortune cookies is a batter that is evenly spread out on the baking sheet. This can be difficult to accomplish with a wooden spoon, since the batter tends to stick to the spoon. Carefully tilting the baking sheet in all directions gives better results.
5. Start By Making Only One or Two Cookies
The instant the cookies are removed from the oven, the race begins: you have twenty seconds at most to add the fortunes, fold the cookies in half and then shape them into the standard fortune cookie shape. It’s best to start with one or two cookies – that way, you’re not feeling pressured.
6. How to Tell When the Cookies are Done
The cookies are done when approximately 1/2 inch of the outside is golden and they are easy to lift with a spatula. The middle part of the cookie remains quite light in color.
7. Wear Close Fitting Cotton Gloves
You need to work with the cookies when they first come out of the oven and are still very hot - wearing cotton gloves makes this easier.
8. Be Prepared to Work Quickly
As noted above, you only have up to twenty seconds to work with the baked cookies before they cool down and stiffen too much to be workable.
9. How to Fold and Shape the Cookies
Remove the cookie from the baking sheet with a spatula and flip it over in your hand. Lay the fortune in the middle of the cookie, and hold it there while folding the cookie in half.
Still holding the the folded cookie in both hands, between your thumb and index fingers, pull the ends down over the rim of a glass or a muffin tin, or the handle of a wooden spoon, until the ends meet. The opened side of the fortune cookie should be facing upward, towards you.
Place noodles in a large bowl. Add enough hot tap water to cover: let stand for 10 to 15 minutes or until pliable but not soft. Drain well.
Meanwhile, for peanut topping, combine peanuts and lime peel; set aside. In a small bowl combine fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and chile paste; stir until smooth. Set aside
In a 12-inch skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and garlic: cook and stir for 6 minutes until chicken is tender and no pink remains. Transfer to a bowl.
Add egg to the hot skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Turn egg with spatula and cook for 30 to 60 seconds more, just until set. Remove and chop egg: set aside.
In the same skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over high heat for 30 seconds. Add drained noodles and sprouts: stir fry for 2 minutes. Add fish sauce mixture and chicken; cook 1to 2 minutes more until heated through. Divide noodle mixture among four plates. Sprinkle each serving with egg and peanut topping. Garnish with green onion and cilantro. Makes 4 servings.
Pork-Peanut Stir Fry
Caryn Esplin
Cut up 4 pork loin chops (boneless) into strips (2 in x 1/2 in.) and stir fry until done.
Dice/slice and stir-fry your favorite veggies over high heat:1 c. onions, 2 c. mushrooms, 1 c. peppers, 1 c. zucchini, 1 c. carrots, etc. (even peas)
Combine and season with salt, pepper, and Tony Cachera’s seasoning (or any garlicy-onion season-all)
Heat and stir theses ingredients to make a sauce:
1/2 c. pineapple-apricot jam (or peach jam)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 T. lemon juice or vinegar
1/2 c. honey mustard BBQ sauce
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can pineapple tidbits with enough of the liquid to make a pourable sauce
Optional: 1/2 c. vinagrette dressing
Pour the sauce over the meat/veggies. Stir it in slightly. Top with mandarin oranges, and peanuts, and voila’!
Serve with warm brown rice
Fortune Cookies
Jann Johnson
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 teaspoons water
Preparation:
1. Write fortunes on pieces of paper that are 3 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 9-X-13 inch baking sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg white, vanilla extract, almond extract and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff.
3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into a separate bowl. Stir the water into the flour mixture.
4. Add the flour into the egg white mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. The batter should not be runny, but should drop easily off a wooden spoon.
Note: if you want to dye the fortune cookies, add the food coloring at this point, stirring it into the batter. For example, I used 1/2 teaspoon green food coloring to make green fortune cookies.
5. Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Gently tilt the baking sheet back and forth and from side to side so that each tablespoon of batter forms into a circle 4 inches in diameter.
6. Bake until the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (14 - 15 minutes).
7. Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula and flip it over in your hand. Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie. To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass, wooden spoon or the edge of a muffin tin. Place the finished cookie in the cup of the muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue with the rest of the cookies.
1. Make Up the Fortunes Ahead of Time
This will give you more time to compose the messages. The strips of paper used should be 3 to 3 1/2 inches long and no more than 1/2-inch wide.
2. Use Cold Baking Sheets
Fortune cookies tend to turn out best when you start with a cold (and greased) baking sheet. Since most recipes make more cookies than can be placed on one 9 X 13-inch baking sheet (the cookies spread out during baking), it’s best to use two baking sheets. That way, you don’t need to wait for the sheet to cool down before baking the next batch of cookies.
3. Cookie Size: Larger is Better
Many fortune cookie recipes call for making a 3-inch cookie. A cookie this size is more difficult to work with and fold than a slightly larger (3 1/2 - 4-inch) cookie. Another plus is that the larger cookie fits snugly into the cup of a muffin tin. This saves you from having to hold the cookie for several seconds after folding, to make sure it keeps its shape. My own preference is to use one level tablespoon of batter to make a 4-inch cookie.
4. Tilt the Baking Sheet to Spread the Batter
The key to making fortune cookies is a batter that is evenly spread out on the baking sheet. This can be difficult to accomplish with a wooden spoon, since the batter tends to stick to the spoon. Carefully tilting the baking sheet in all directions gives better results.
5. Start By Making Only One or Two Cookies
The instant the cookies are removed from the oven, the race begins: you have twenty seconds at most to add the fortunes, fold the cookies in half and then shape them into the standard fortune cookie shape. It’s best to start with one or two cookies – that way, you’re not feeling pressured.
6. How to Tell When the Cookies are Done
The cookies are done when approximately 1/2 inch of the outside is golden and they are easy to lift with a spatula. The middle part of the cookie remains quite light in color.
7. Wear Close Fitting Cotton Gloves
You need to work with the cookies when they first come out of the oven and are still very hot - wearing cotton gloves makes this easier.
8. Be Prepared to Work Quickly
As noted above, you only have up to twenty seconds to work with the baked cookies before they cool down and stiffen too much to be workable.
9. How to Fold and Shape the Cookies
Remove the cookie from the baking sheet with a spatula and flip it over in your hand. Lay the fortune in the middle of the cookie, and hold it there while folding the cookie in half.
Still holding the the folded cookie in both hands, between your thumb and index fingers, pull the ends down over the rim of a glass or a muffin tin, or the handle of a wooden spoon, until the ends meet. The opened side of the fortune cookie should be facing upward, towards you.
No comments:
Post a Comment