Celebrate national Fortune Cookie Day by making homemade fortune cookies! Who doesn't love the thrill of cracking open a fortune cookie in anticipation of a dose of wisdom plus a sweet treat? I'm not sure which I like better, the cookie or the fortune. I love Chinese food, but a sweet treat with a surprise inside at the end just makes it extra special. They're a family favorite and the reason why I always smile before asking for a few extras when dining in or picking up take-out.
This tasty holiday is celebrated on both July 20 and September 13, so guess what - that just means we can celebrate twice! Twice the fortune cookies mean twice the delicious fun and twice the luck!
Celebrate this fun holiday with your family 🎉
Explore the unexpected history, listen to a story, then make some homemade treats. Show your family how special they are and make some magic. The recipe is quick, easy, inexpensive, and utterly delicious - just the way we like it! Get ready and have some family-fun in the kitchen. If you really want to wow your family get creative with the fortunes - we've got some ideas for you.
Fortune Cookie History
First, let's start with the twist, and I'm not talking about the fold in the cookie. These sweet and delicious treats offered after enjoying some yummy Chinese food are not actually from China. The fortune cookie we know and love is an American invention with Japanese roots, and California is at the heart of its story. There are several versions of exactly how the modern fortune cookie came to be, with both San Francisco and Los Angeles connected to its early history. The story begins with cookies created in California in the early 1900s by Japanese immigrants, either in San Francisco, Los Angeles, or maybe both. These early cookies were inspired by cookies from Japan dating back to the 1800s. While the origin is likely not tied to one person or one place, they are an American invention originally created somewhere in California by people of Japanese descent, eventually evolving into the sweet and crunchy treat that typically comes with Chinese food.
Fun Fortune Cookie Facts
- Japanese Origin: They were inspired by a savory Japanese cookie called tsujiura senbei.
- Made in America: Created in California, not China
- Made by Hand: Prior to 1964 when a fortune cookie machine was invented these treats were all made by hand.
- Presidential Campaigns: Both Robert F. Kennedy Sr. and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used fortune cookies to promote their presidential campaigns - RFK Sr. in 1968 and RFK Jr. in 2024.
- The Powerball: In 2005, 110 people won second-place lottery prizes using numbers from a fortune cookie. Officials suspected cheating but their investigation revealed that the numbers came from a fortune cookie.
- Lottery Winner: Quite a few people have won big using numbers from fortune cookies.
Learn more about this delightful cookie with a surprise inside:
- The Surprising Origins of the Fortune Cookie
- Tracing the Origin of the Fortune Cookie
- Origins of a fortune cookie
- On Los Angeles's role in putting the Fortune Cookie on the American map
- Los Angeles Fortune Cookie Connection
- How do fortunes get inside of fortune cookies?
- ▶️ Art for Kids Hub: How To Draw A Funny Fortune Cookie
- ▶️ Unwrapping the California Origins of the Fortune Cookie: Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park
- ▶️ Where Do Fortune Cookies Actually Come From? - For older kids
DIY Fortune Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 egg white
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
Directions:
- Mix the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff.
- Then sift the flour, salt, and sugar and blend into the egg white mixture - The batter should be just a little bit runny.
- Grease a cookie sheet.
- Place teaspoons of batter onto the cookie sheet and use the back of the spoon to spread the batter thin.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 3-5 minutes or until the edges of the cookie are browned.
- Working quickly while the cookies are hot and flexible, carefully remove them with a metal spatula. Place a fortune in the middle of each cookie and fold in half.
- Place the center of the folded cookie over the edge of a soup bowl or mug and gently bend the ends down to create the traditional fortune cookie shape. Set aside to cool and harden.
Want to get creative?
Here are some "fortune" ideas to get you started:
- Silly predictions
- Themed to your family's favorite things
- Conversation starters
- Funny jokes
- Compliments
- Holiday greetings
Enjoy!
While you are enjoying your yummy homemade fortune cookies with your kids why not enjoy this fortune cookie Storytime:
🥠 Your Family-Fun Fortune Awaits!
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