I was never a fan of Fortune Cookies. They taste like sweetened cardboard and the fortunes are always vague and senseless. But what else do you expect from a cheap pre-packaged novelty? That’s when I got the idea to not only make my own fortune cookies, but ditch the fortunes all together.
You know me, I stay far away from tradition, and dipping the cookies in Godiva Blood Orange Dark Chocolate definitely makes them unique. “But what if” I thought, “we fold candy inside the cookie instead of a fortune?” It saves you time from coming up with dozens of fortunes and is more sustainable for our flavor star, the blood orange. Candying citrus skin is easy to do and a delicious substitute to the usual paper inserts. Cooked until soft and bendable, these particular citrus peels are not rock hard as Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry prefer. The only drawback is the moisture from the orange peel. It softens the cookie over time, so if you prefer your Fortune Cookies hard and crisp, eat them immediately. I would keep playing around with this recipe, but I’m content with this first attempt. It’s not about perfection, it about fun!
Blood Orange Dark Chocolate Fortune Cookies are ideal for Valentine’s Day because what symbolizes love more than a juicy, deep red orange? It wasn’t until after I had finished making them that I shoulda could woulda made Chinese New Year Themed Fortune Cookies. For the Year of the Boar, how about Bacon Flavored Cookies (with strips of bacon inside)? Let me tell ya, they are STUPID GOOD. The recipe variation is below.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the very top surface of the blood orange skin, avoiding as much of the pith (that’s the white stuff) as possible. Bring a skillet of water to a boil then add the strips. Cook for 1 minute, then strain through at fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water. Repeat this blanching process 1 more time then set the peels aside. In the same skillet, bring the sugar and water to a boil until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Add the peels and simmer until they are soft, glazed, and translucent. Meanwhile, pour more sugar on a plate, then coat the peels in it. Set aside until ready to fold the fortunate cookies.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg whites, vanilla extract, almond extract, and coconut oil until bubbly and frothy.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the flour to the egg mixture and stir until the batter is smooth. Add the blood orange juice and water. The batter should not be runny but should drop easily off a wooden spoon. Add more water to achieve this consistency.
Place a level tablespoon of batter onto the baking sheet,* spacing them at least 3 inches apart. I suggest starting with 2 or 4 cookies as practice. Use the back of a spoon or butter knife to spread each tablespoon of batter into a thin circle, if you start to see the bottom of the baking sheet, you’ve gone too far.
TIP: Or pour the batter into a piping or ziplock bag for less mess.
Bake until the edge of each cookie turns golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula or knife and flip it over. Place a candied peel in the middle of each cookie. Fold the cookie like a taco, then pull the edges downward over the rim of the baking sheet or cup. Place the folded cookie in the cup of a muffin tin or egg carton so it keeps its shape. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.
Break the Godiva Blood Orange Dark Chocolate into small pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 10-second intervals until almost completely melted. Stir with a spoon to finish melting. Dip one edge of the cookie into the chocolate and place on parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. Sprinkle with shredded coconut. Place in the freezer until the chocolate just sets. Eat immediately.
In Step 1, replace candied orange peels with small strips of bacon. Be sure not to cook the bacon too crispy, you want it to bend when folded in the fortune cookie. Cook 1 or 2 strips crispier and crumble for garnish. Reserve the bacon fat for Step 3. Replace the coconut oil with reserved bacon fat and melted butter to equal 2 tablespoons. In Step 7, dip the cookies in plain dark chocolate then sprinkle with crumbled bacon.
In Step 1, replace candied orange peels with candied lemon peels. In Step 3, use lemon juice in place of blood orange. In Step 4, add 1 teaspoon of matcha powder to the dry mixture.
How would you use Blood Orange Dark Chocolate?