Cream Cheese Wontons

Hello, happy Sunday. Hopefully everyone had a nice weekend and you’re all  prepared for work tomorrow morning. This weekend I did a little practice for my drivers exam here in Qatar and I felt very 16 again. I went to dinner with my cousins at a Japanese restaurant called Nobu and it was really amazing. The kind of food that puts you in a good mood and makes you laugh. It was a totally new experience for both of my cousins who grew up in Sudan and have stuck to Sudanese and middle eastern food for the most part. Their favorite part of the meal was probably the chopsticks, which almost no one knew how to use so the server gave us cheaters. Have you ever seen those? It’s just a little piece of plastic that fits around each chopstick and holds them in position so all you have to do is clamp the food between. They make chopsticks a skill any preschooler could use. Really, the only thing missing (and I know these aren’t Japanese, but still) were the cream cheese wontons. I notice that you can go to any restaurant here and order crab wontons but they NEVER have cream cheese in them. I know it’s an American thing, but seriously, the rest of the world is missing out. But not me, because I just make them at home.

Yep, I’ve been craving cream cheese wontons so much that I decided to make my own. They were delicious. The best part about making them at home is you can personalize them. Ever order takeout and you and your friends can’t agree on whether to get jalepenos or not? Not a problem, just make some of each. Like really crunchy wontons but your boyfriend likes the wrap to be thin? No problem, use two wonton wrappers on yours and one to make his. Stuck in the house in MN in that Spring snow storm with bored kids and minimal ingredients? Forget baking cookies, have a make your own wonton party! Easy peasy, just mix some cream cheese, egg and a pinch of sugar and you’re set. Not to mention, making your own homemade sweet and sour sauce? Oh my god, so much better than the store-bought stuff.

Now that everyone’s happily decided on their mix-ins, its time for the fun part and a little friendly competition. If you’re having a wonton party with your kids, this will be a lot of fun for them. Folding! I tried a few different methods before I got the shape that I wanted, but really the important part is just making sure the wontons area sealed and the cream cheese doesn’t all bubble out while you’re frying them. The key to this is using water. Keep a bowl of water near you while your folding, dip your index finger in and spread the water across all four edges. Then I folded two edges together like a burrito and the other two in. It’s hard to explain but you’ll get it once you start folding. Push the middle of all the sides together and pull the corners out to make that traditional cream cheese wonton shape. Use a little more water to seal around the edges and you’re set to go.

Once the folding is done, fry them up (or bake them, if that’s you’re thing). Serve them with your Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 8 oz package Cream Cheese
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Sugar
• Jalepenos (optional)
• 1 pack Wonton wrappers
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Water, for folding
• Sweet and Sour Sauce

DIRECTIONS 

1. In small mixing bowl, stir together cream cheese, egg, sugar, and jalepenos.
2. Lay wonton wrappers on a flat surface and spoon 1 TBSP of cream cheese mixture into the middle of the wrap.
3. Using your index finger and water, wet all edges of the wonton wrapper. Fold the edges in and make sure they are all sealed.
4. In a large pan, heat oil to 350 degrees F.
5. Fry wontons until golden brown then transfer to a plate covered with paper towels.
6. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

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