How to Make Cream Cheese Wontons

Cream cheese won-tons are comfort snacks made of cream cheese wrapped in delicate won-ton and browned to crispness. They are surging in popularity these days, especially in Chinese and Asian fusion restaurants. Even the leading fast food chain, Panda Express, added these little pouches of delight to their menu recently. They are great to enjoy as an appetizer or as an afternoon snack. Be sure to make enough of these as they are not only great for eating, but also perfect for sharing!

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 1 pkg. won-ton wrappers
• 1 tsp. garlic powder or herbs
• 14 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup green onions
• 2-3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
• water
• pepper
• canola oil for frying
• crab meat (optional)

How to Make Cream Cheese Wontons

1. Pour oil into frying pan to a depth of 1 inch. Preheat oil to 325 degrees.
2. Combine cream cheese, crab meat, green onions, garlic powder and a dash of pepper in a small bowl.
3. Take a won-ton wrapper and place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water, then raise all points of the won-ton square together, completely covering the filling, just like a dumpling pouch. You can also fold opposite ends together to make a simple triangle.
4. Gently place the won-tons in the pan and fry to a golden brown, usually 30 seconds to 1 minute. Even if you use crab meat, these little pouches don't need that much cooking, so when they are brown and crispy enough, they're good to go.
5. Drain won-tons on paper towels and enjoy with sweet and sour sauce!

Tips & Warnings

• Cream cheese won-tons are usually plain and simple, so try to make it more fun by adding mushrooms, candied ginger, caramelized onions, etc.
• Some recipes call for salt but you can omit this because the cheese and the sauces are generally salty already.
• Won-ton wrappers tend to dry up so if you are going to make won-tons for a lot of people, place a damp towel over the wrappers to ensure moisture.
• Who says cream cheese won-tons need to be triangle-shaped? You can roll the wrapper instead like you would an egg roll to create a varied presentation on the plate.
• It's okay to enjoy a couple of these, but keep in mind these are fried snacks of cheese, so fat content can be high. Eat in moderation.