Chinese New Year Recipes for Nannies and Au Pairs

Mandarin Orange Muffins
By Tami Rose, North Carolina

To the Chinese, oranges and tangerines represent wealth, luck, and abundant happiness. Start your day off right with our healthy orange muffins and a big glass of orange juice.

You Will Need:

1/2 C. Flour

1-3/4 tsp. Baking powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Allspice

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 C. Sugar

1/3 C. Margarine or butter flavored shortening

1 Egg, beaten

1- 10 oz. can of Mandarin oranges, drained (reserve juice)

1/4 C. + 3 TBSP juice from reserved Mandarin orange juice OR 1/4 C. milk

(Optional: chopped nuts, raisins, mini chocolate chips, or sweetened coconut.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

2. Sift dry ingredients together.

3. Add 1/3 C. margarine or butter flavored shortening, cut in until the mix crumbles.

4. Add one egg, beaten, and reserved juice from reserved Mandarin oranges OR 1/4 C. milk. Add entire liquid to the dry mix. Mix just until moistened. Do not over mix to avoid dry, tough muffins.

5. Fold in Mandarin oranges.

6. Fill 3/4 full with batter then top muffin with one Mandarin orange.

7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.

8. Dip muffin tops in melted butter and cinnamon sugar mixture for a sweeter muffin.

Fortune Cookies

(makes 12)
Fortune cookies are a fun way to end a family meal, and easily bought in most Chinese supermarkets. But they are also fun to make - and if you make them yourself you will be able to add your own fortunes.

You Will Need:
1 Egg white

Tiny amount of vanilla extract

1 Pinch salt

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

Paper and pen

1. Have the children write fortunes with pen (not crayons or markers) on strips of white paper (approximately four-inches by 1/2 inch).

2. Preheat the oven to 400F and grease two cookie sheets.

3. Beat the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar and fold gently into the egg white mixture.

4. Place a teaspoonful of the batter onto one of the prepared cookie sheets, and tilt the sheet to encourage the batter to form into a nice round shape about three-inches in diameter.

5. Repeat, leaving at least two-inches between the cookies. Put no more than two or three per sheet as you will need to work with them quickly while they are hot.

6. Put the first sheet into the oven and bake for about five minutes, watching carefully, until the cookie has turned a golden color around the outer edge of the circle. The center should remain pale. While you are waiting, prepare the next cookie sheet.

7. Once cooked, remove from oven and very quickly lift one of the cookies with a spatula and turn upside down onto a wooden board.

8. Place the fortune in the middle of the cookie and fold the cookie in half.

9. Place the folded edge across the rim of a cup or glass and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside.

10. Stand the folded cookies in the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton until they cool so that they hold their shape.