Good Fortune Cookies

Last October, American food professionals visited fermented food producers to deepen their knowledge of Japanese fermentation culture during the “Hakko Tourism in Japan” tour campaign. As part of the tour, organizers held a tasting session where guests gave candid advice from the perspective of the American market to food product manufacturers looking to enter the United States market.

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• pinch kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1½ cups almond flour or very finely ground almonds
• 24 whole almonds blanched
• ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sou sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg whites and salt, then beat on high speed until soft peaks start to form. With the mixer running, add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until the mixture is very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Using a large spatula, stir in the almond flour making sure everything is well combined. The mixture will be very thick.
3. Using a tablespoon or a 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop, drop mounds of the cookies on the prepared baking sheets spacing them 2 inches apart. Place a whole blanched almond on half of the cookies. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
4. Combine the chocolate chips, cream, and San-J Tamari in a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring, until chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is smooth. Spread some of the chocolate mixture on the flat side of one of the cookies without the almond. Top with a cookie with an almond, almond side up, and gently press together. Repeat with remaining chocolate and cookies.