Have I lost my mind? (or "How To Make Edible Origami Cranes")

Kristen
Nov 11, 2017
2 min read

Admittedly, this is a RIDICULOUS thing to make. It's almost embarrassing to admit to doing it. But I never let that stop me. And I won't tell if you want to make them too.

My advice: Make them in the morning when you are feeling relaxed and patient. The first time, I went to my local standard supermarket and bought the only pack of egg roll wrappers they had. The label was all in English. And admittedly, I used them straight out of the fridge, which probably wasn't the best idea. They tended to crack and break when folded. This time, I went to the Mitsuwa Japanese market near me and bought a egg roll wrappers with mostly Chinese writing on them plus a package of spring roll wrappers. I didn't know the difference, but thought I would try both. The only difference in the ingredients was that the "spring roll" wrappers didn't contain egg. It turned out that the spring roll wrappers were thinner and lighter and easier to fold although a little more delicate. They looked prettier after baking, kind of translucent and ethereal. And they tasted better with a nice crisp crunch to them. The egg roll wrappers were more chewy and doughy. Not as good baked. So, if you can find them, go for the spring roll wrappers.

The other things I changed from the first time around were that I brushed the flour off of them so they would stick together better and I didn't end up with a plate of snow covered cranes. And instead of baking them plain and dipping them in a sweet and savory sauce, I sprinkled them with cinnamon & sugar before baking so they would be tasty on their own even without a dip.

Practice makes perfect. I think, they came out lovely this time! I'm going to order some takeout Chinese food for dinner and serve these for dessert. (I know, origami is Japanese, but the wrappers are Chinese so it can go either way, right?)

If your origami is (ahem) rusty, it wouldn't be a bad idea to fold a crane or two out of paper first. When working with dough, you take some short cuts to avoid mangling the dough, but it helps to understand the mechanics of a "square base" and a "petal fold". Oh, and here's a link to the TasteMade video that inspired me! : Origami Crane Video....

Ingredients:

Spring Roll or Egg Roll Wrappers

Cooking Oil Spray: I used coconut.

Sugar & Cinnamon: I mixed 1/4 cup sugar with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.

A non-stick muffin tray to cook them on.

How:

Brush any extra flour off of your wrapper.

Gently fold into a crane. (Yes, I am saying that with a straight face.)

Drape onto the underside of a muffin tin to support the wings & head & tail.

Use a drop of water to wet and squish the head and beak into shape.

Spray with oil.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.