These unique fortune cookies aren’t harbingers of doom as the name might suggest, but instead, they’re delicious spiced vanilla and chocolate treats with silly mixed-up divinations and life advice tucked inside. In other words, these misfortunes are fortunes— Mad Libs style. When the cookie cracks open, the fortune inside will have cues on its folded exterior. Think up your prompted nouns, adjectives, or verbs, then open up the fortune and read it with your prompts within the blanks.
The flavor of these cookies is a mixture of warm spices, a very subtle heat from cayenne and ancho chili, and the delicious Oreo-like flavor of black cocoa. Although they take quite a lot of time and effort to make, (as all homemade fortune cookies do!) the process is fun and the results are satisfying. As ever, I’m a fan of edible crafts!
With menacing black cocoa, and a striking red, forked fortune poking out its side like a snake’s tongue, naturally, I think these unique fortune cookies are perfect for spooky season. But, while I made these just before Halloween, I think they’d be great fun any time of year. If you prefer more traditional fortune cookies, you might be interested in my sesame-almond fortune cookie recipe.
In this article you’ll find the free printable fortunes, step-by-step photos for mixing the batter and folding the fortune cookies, and the full written recipe for the cookies too.
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Materials Notes
- Red paper
- I think printing the fortunes on red paper gives the cookies an extra daunting look.
- Black cocoa powder
- Black cocoa is one of my favorite things. Use it in place of regular cocoa for a unique, deep flavor. I like using it for this chocolate cake. It tastes like Oreos!
- Silicone baking mat
- A silicone baking mat will make making fortune cookies a much easier process because it stays in place! I highly recommend using one.
- Lint-free gloves
- Folding hot cookies is no joke. Even with my tough fingers, I came away with a slight burn on my pointer. I happen to have these cut resistant gloves, and they work great for folding. They’re thin, not linty, and offer a little heat protection. Normally I use them with my mandolin slicer.
Free Printable Fortunes
First things first, print some fortunes! (If you prefer classic fortunes, you can use the free printable ones on this page.)
1. Set your printer settings
These fortunes are double sided, with prompts on the outside and the fortune on the inside.
Be sure to set your printer settings to double-sided, as shown below. Print on red paper for an extra spooky look!
2. Print your fortunes
Print the fortunes from here directly:
3. Cut and fold your fortunes
After printing the fortunes, cut the fortunes apart with scissors or with a ruler and an Xacto knife.
Then, cut the forked edges of the fortunes.
Fold the fortunes in half with the prompt on the outside.
Repeat with all the fortunes.
How to make these Unique Fortune Cookies
Begin with 3 small bowls. Whisk the dry ingredients for both batters in their own bowls. Use the third bowl for whisking the egg whites, one at a time.
Whisk the first egg white for the first batter until it’s bubbly on top but liquid underneath, like a bubble bath.
Make a well in the dry ingredients of one bowl and pour in the egg white, the oil, and the vanilla.
Then, use a spoon or spatula to fold the ingredients together until moistened.
Add water to the batter, starting with a tablespoon, and then a little bit at a time, until the batter falls off the spoon or spatula in ribbons.
Repeat with the other batter.
Prepare the baking sheet with a silicone mat, muffin tin, drinking glass, and spatula. Heat the oven to 350F.
Use a spoon to drop about 2 teaspoons of one of the batters onto the silicone mat.
Use the back of the spoon to spread the batter into a 3-4” circle. The circle may be a little translucent in some spots, and that’s ok!
Then, use another spoon to drizzle or drop about 1/2-1 teaspoon of the other batter on top.
Use a toothpick to marble the batters together. Be careful not to swirl too many times, or the pattern will become muddled.
Repeat with a second cookie. Start cooking 2 cookies at a time, and then add more as you feel comfortable. (Personally, I can only do 2 before they cool too much to fold!)
Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the center is still a little pale.
Working quick while the cookies are hot, use a spatula to flip the cookies over.
This will make sure the marbled side is on the outside, and that the fortune doesn’t stick to the cookie.
Place the fortune in the upper third of the cookie.
Place the fortune in the upper third of the cookie.
Move the cookie to a glass. Place the center of the folded edge on the edge of the glass and use two hands to pull the corners down. (Imagine my other hand is there on the other corner of the cookie)
Move the finished cookie to a muffin tin, which will help the cookie hold its shape while the cookie cools.
Repeat until all cookies are bakes and folded. I made 16, but the batter will make more than that if you have the time and patience!
Misfortune Fortune Cookies Recipe
Misfortune Cookies
Equipment
- 3 small bowls for mixing batters
- whisk or fork
- silicone spatula or regular spoon
- Baking sheet
- silicone baking mat or parchment paper (parchment paper or a baking spray could be used, but a silicone mat is recommended.)
- 2 spoons for marbling batters
- toothpick
- sturdy, thin spatula
- lint-free gloves (optional– to protect fingers from hot cookies)
- drinking glass for folding cookies
- muffin tin or 2 small bowls or mugs for setting cookies in their shape
Ingredients
- fortunes printed and cut
Cinnamon-Chocolate Batter
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp rice flour
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp black cocoa powder or regular cocoa powder
- dash ground cinnamon (less than 1/8 tsp)
- 1 egg white
- 1 1/2 tbsp neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil
- water
Spiced Vanilla Batter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp rice flour
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- dash cayenne pepper (less than 1/8 tsp)
- dash ground ancho chili pepper (less than 1/8 tsp)
- 1 egg white
- 1 1/2 tbsp neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- water
Instructions
Make the Batters
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients of the cinnamon-chocolate batter. In a separate small bowl, whisk 1 egg white until there is a layer of bubbles that has formed on the top. It will resemble a bubble bath.
- Make a well in the whisked dry ingredients and pour the egg white into the center, along with the 1 1/2 tablespoons of neutral oil. Use a spatula or a spoon to fold the ingredients together until moistened.
- Add 1 tablespoon of water to the batter and stir. Add more water, a little at a time, until the batter is falling off the spatula or spoon in ribbons.
- Repeat this process with the ingredients for the spiced vanilla batter in a separate small bowl.
Bake the Cookies
- Heat the oven to 350F, and prepare a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
- Use a spoon to dollop about 2 teaspoons of one of the batters onto the mat, and use the back of the spoon to swirl the batter into a 3-4 inch wide circle. Use another spoon to dollop or drizzle about 1/2-1 teaspoon of the other batter on top. Then, use the toothpick to marble the two together. Repeat this process a few inches away to create a second cookie.
- Repeat this process a few inches away to create a second cookie. Begin baking 2 cookies at a time, then increase the number as you feel comfortable.
- Bake the cookies 8-9 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges and still a little pale in the center. As the cookies bake, prepare a muffin tin or a few small dishes, and a cup for folding. Put on lint-free gloves to protect your fingers if you prefer. Take a look at the step-by-step folding images in the article to prepare to fold!
Fold the Cookies
- Working quickly while the cookies are hot, remove the baked cookies from the oven and use a thin, sturdy spatula to flip the cookies over (this will keep the fortunes from sticking to the cookies.)
- Place a fortune in the upper third of each cookie. Working with one cookie at a time, fold loosely in half over the fortune. Then, move the cookie to the drinking glass. Place the center of the folded edge on the edge of the glass and pull the corners downward. Then, move the cookie in the muffin tin or dish so it holds its shape as it cools.
- Repeat this process until all of the cookies have been shaped, and lasso in a friend if you want to bake more cookies at a time! Enjoy fresh, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If the cookies are made in a dry environment, they will stay very crispy. If the environment is humid, pop them in a 350F degree oven for a few minutes before serving.
