Vietnamese Coffee Fortune Cookies

By Pichet Ong, Author, The Sweet Spot: Asian-Inspired Desserts

Makes approximately 50 cookies

½ pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons condensed milk
1 ¾ ounce Vietnamese coffee powder
9 ounces all purpose flour
¾ ounce milk powder
7 ounces confectioner’s sugar
5 1/2 ounces egg whites

With the paddle attachment in an electric mixer, mix cream butter, condensed milk, salt and coffee powder just until combined, about 3 minutes. In the meantime, sift together confectioner’s sugar, flour and milk powder. Add sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix to combine, scraping the bowl as necessary.

With the mixer at low speed, slowly add in egg whites and mix until incorporated. Scrape bottom of bowl again and mix well. Chill batter with plastic wrap covering directly on surface for at least 1 hour before use. Spread batter onto silpat using a stencil with 4” round circles. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until done with surface dry to the touch, about 5 minutes.

Place fortune paper in middle of each circle, fold in half and then bring the two points together with the seam on the broad side. Lay into a ridged tuile pan to cool. It is imperative that the cookie is folded when hot otherwise the cookie will break.

Recipe Adapted from “An Exotic Finish” By Pichet Ong (Morrow-Harper Collins, 2007)