Lemon Ginger Mousse And Homemade Fortune Cookie Recipes

FORTUNE COOKIES I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a cookie sheet. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Generously grease 2 cookie sheets.
• Mix the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar and blend into the egg white mixture.
• Place teaspoonfuls of the batter at least 4 inches apart on one of the prepared cookie sheets. Tilt the sheet to move the batter into round shapes about 3 inches in diameter. Be careful to make batter as round and even as possible. Do not make too many, because the cookie have to be really hot to form them and once they cool it is too late. Start with 2 or 3 to a sheet and see how many you can do.
• Bake for 5 minutes or until cookie has turned a golden color 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The center will remain pale. While one sheet is baking, prepare the other.
• Remove from oven and quickly move cookie with a wide spatula and place upside down on a wooden board. Quickly place the fortune on the cookie, close to the middle and fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton to hold their shape until firm.

LEMON GINGER MOUSSE AND HOMEMADE FORTUNE COOKIE

Steps:

• For the mousse:
• Place the heavy cream, fresh ginger and ground ginger in a medium saucepan and bring to just under a boil. Turn off the heat and let the cream sit for about an hour. Remove from the heat and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight or up to 4 days.
• For the fortune cookie:
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg whites until combined. Whisk in the melted butter, then the flour and then the ginger (or extract or spice of your choice). Place the batter in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. (The batter will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container.).
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a very flat, level baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, and liberally spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Spoon about a tablespoon of batter onto the baking sheet and, using the back of the spoon or an offset spatula, carefully spread the batter into a circle 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Your first few times you should probably stick to making these one at a time but once you get the hang of it, try making 2 to 3 at a time. Bake until the tuile is completely golden brown all over, 12 to 14 minutes.
• As soon as the tuile is done, remove it from the oven and immediately start to slide a spatula underneath the tuile to loosen it from the sheet. The tuile will go through several stages before it gets to its final cooled and crispy state. Directly out of the oven it is too hot and delicate to handle. After about 10 seconds it firms up enough to hold its shape so you can handle it and shape it. It stays pliable for 10 to 15 more seconds; this is your window of opportunity to work with the cookie. Once you've worked the spatula under the whole cookie, pick it up and shape into a fortune cookie. If you wait too long the cookie starts to harden and cool and then your attempt to shape it will result in a shattered mess. You can place the cookie back into the oven for a few seconds to re-warm it into a pliable state. However, with each reheating, the cookie cools down even faster so I recommend only 2 re-heatings. Use a new cool baking sheet for each batch or cool your baking sheet under cool water before reusing. If you try to spoon the batter onto a hot sheet it will immediately start to melt and become un-spreadable. Continue with all of the batter until you have 8 to 10 cookies. Let cool for 30 minutes. Cookies hold for about a day in an airtight container.
• To assemble:
• When you are ready to serve the mousse, strain the ginger-flavored heavy cream into a large mixing bowl. Whip the cream until it holds a peak. Fold in the Lemon Curd. Divide into serving bowls and top with candied ginger and a fortune cookie.
• Lemon Curd:.
• In a medium, nonreactive saucepan, combine the lemon juice and butter, place over medium-high heat and heat to just under a boil. In a medium, heatproof bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks until blended, then slowly whisk in the sugar until combined. Remove the lemon juice mixture from the heat and gradually whisk a little of it into the sugar/egg mixture. Continue whisking the hot liquid into the sugar/egg mixture, a little at a time, until all of it has been incorporated. When all of the hot liquid has been incorporated, return the contents of the bowl to the saucepan and return the saucepan to medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon and making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan frequently to prevent the eggs from scrambling, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon thickly. To test, draw your finger along the back of the spoon; the curd should hold the trail for a second or two before it fills. Remove the curd from the heat and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk in the vanilla and salt. You should have about 3 cups. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until cold. (The curd can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.).

GINGER MOUSSE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, soften gelatin in water, 3 to 5 minutes. Place bowl over hot water; stir until gelatin dissolves. Keep warm.
• Pour half and half into a small saucepan. Stir constantly over low heat until almost boiling.
• In the top of a double boiler, beat egg yolks until blended; beat in 1/4 cup sugar. Gradually stir in hot half and half; place over hot water. Stir constantly until warmed through.
• Stir in dissolved gelatin and chopped ginger. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in rum.
• In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; stir in remaining 2 Tablespoons sugar and the salt. Carefully fold egg-yolk mixture into egg-white mixture.
• Spoon mousse into a serving bowl or individual dessert dishes. Cover; refrigerate about 3 hours. To serve, decorate with crystallized ginger pieces.

FORTUNE COOKIES

Steps:

• Write individual fortunes on strips of paper. Sift flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt into a medium bowl. Add oil, egg whites, water, and vanilla extract; stir until smooth. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake 1 cookie at a time. Drop 1/4 cup batter onto an oiled baking sheet; spread evenly to make an 8-inch circle. Bake until cookie turns light golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. (Don't allow edges to become overly brown or cookie will crack when folded.) Using pot holders to protect your hands, immediately remove hot, pliable cookie from baking sheet and place a fortune in center. Fold cookie in half to form a half-moon, then grasp ends of cookie and gently pull together to crease. Hold folded cookie for a minute to maintain its shape as it cools and becomes crisp. Repeat with remaining batter.

LEMON GINGER MOUSSE AND HOMEMADE FORTUNE COOKIE

Steps:

• For the mousse: Place the heavy cream, fresh ginger and ground ginger in a medium saucepan and bring to just under a boil. Turn off the heat and let the cream sit for about an hour. Remove from the heat and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight or up to 4 days.
• For the fortune cookie: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg whites until combined. Whisk in the melted butter, then the flour and then the ginger (or extract or spice of your choice). Place the batter in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. (The batter will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container.)
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a very flat, level baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, and liberally spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Spoon about a tablespoon of batter onto the baking sheet and, using the back of the spoon or an offset spatula, carefully spread the batter into a circle 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Your first few times you should probably stick to making these one at a time but once you get the hang of it, try making 2 to 3 at a time. Bake until the tuile is completely golden brown all over, 12 to 14 minutes.
• As soon as the tuile is done, remove it from the oven and immediately start to slide a spatula underneath the tuile to loosen it from the sheet. The tuile will go through several stages before it gets to its final cooled and crispy state. Directly out of the oven it is too hot and delicate to handle. After about 10 seconds it firms up enough to hold its shape so you can handle it and shape it. It stays pliable for 10 to 15 more seconds; this is your window of opportunity to work with the cookie. Once you've worked the spatula under the whole cookie, pick it up and shape into a fortune cookie. If you wait too long the cookie starts to harden and cool and then your attempt to shape it will result in a shattered mess. You can place the cookie back into the oven for a few seconds to re-warm it into a pliable state. However, with each reheating, the cookie cools down even faster so I recommend only 2 re-heatings. Use a new cool baking sheet for each batch or cool your baking sheet under cool water before reusing. If you try to spoon the batter onto a hot sheet it will immediately start to melt and become un-spreadable. Continue with all of the batter until you have 8 to 10 cookies. Let cool for 30 minutes. Cookies hold for about a day in an airtight container.
• To assemble: When you are ready to serve the mousse, strain the ginger-flavored heavy cream into a large mixing bowl. Whip the cream until it holds a peak. Fold in the Lemon Curd. Divide into serving bowls and top with candied ginger and a fortune cookie.
• In a medium, nonreactive saucepan, combine the lemon juice and butter, place over medium-high heat and heat to just under a boil. In a medium, heatproof bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks until blended, then slowly whisk in the sugar until combined. Remove the lemon juice mixture from the heat and gradually whisk a little of it into the sugar/egg mixture. Continue whisking the hot liquid into the sugar/egg mixture, a little at a time, until all of it has been incorporated. When all of the hot liquid has been incorporated, return the contents of the bowl to the saucepan and return the saucepan to medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon and making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan frequently to prevent the eggs from scrambling, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon thickly. To test, draw your finger along the back of the spoon; the curd should hold the trail for a second or two before it fills. Remove the curd from the heat and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk in the vanilla and salt. You should have about 3 cups. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until cold. (The curd can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)