For a homemade version of everyone’s beloved restaurant-style Cream Cheese Wonton, crisp, perfectly fried pastry is wrapped around savory, smooth cream cheese filling. So, how to make cream cheese wontons from scratch?
Serve these delicious appetizers before any meal. Make it a comprehensive Chinese evening with these dishes: baked Sweet and Sour Chicken, Skinny Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken, or Chicken with Firecrackers.
Cream Cheese Wontons
Northern China is the origin of wontons, which are also known as sealed dumplings. The original appellation was ‘huidun,’ which means chaos. As Chinese writing characters began to form, they eventually altered the term to wonton.
Wontons are comparable to dumplings, but wonton wrappers are typically square and thinner than dumpling wrappers.
Time
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- cook time: 20 minutes
- total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese
- 1 diced medium shallot
- 2 teaspoons of powdered sugar
- 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk together.
- 1 package of store-bought wonton wrappers or 24 homemade wontons
- Canola or vegetable oil for frying.
Directions
- In a medium mixing basin, thoroughly combine the cream cheese, shallot, and sugar.
- In a separate basin, combine 1 tablespoon of water with the egg.
- Place approximately 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each wonton. (Take caution not to overfill the wontons so they don’t burst during frying.)
- To fold your wontons, dunk your finger in the egg wash and rub it along the wrapper’s margins to create a half-moon shape. This recipe calls for circular wrappers, but the same wrapping technique will work with square wrappers. After securing the wrapper by folding it in half, apply additional egg wash to the corners. Bring together the two corners for the final seal.
- Fill a deep skillet with approximately 2 inches of oil. Using a candy thermometer, heat the oil over medium heat until its temperature reaches 350° F.
- Place four to five wontons in the oil and fry for two to three minutes or until golden brown.
- Place on a cooling rack lined with towels to absorb surplus oil. Repeat the process with the remaining wontons, making sure to monitor the temperature of the oil throughout. Serve them steaming with your preferred sauce.
Ways To Serve Cream Cheese Wontons
When dunked in a sour and sweet sauce or a Thai sweet chili sauce, cream cheese wontons are incredibly delectable. When we order Chinese takeout, Panda Express is one of our go-to restaurants; therefore, it is so much fun to recreate our favorite menu items, such as kung pao chicken and Instant Pot orange chicken, as well as numerous other Asian cuisine recipes, at home.
Serve alongside Asian-stuffed mushrooms and teriyaki meatballs on an appetizer platter. Everyone will undoubtedly adore them!
Cooking Tips For Cream Cheese Wontons
- Choosing high-quality ingredients and maintaining the wonton wrappers will enhance the flavor of these cream cheese wontons.
- The optimal oil to use. Use a high smoke point oil such as vegetable, peanut, avocado, or canola.
- Dumpling coverings. First, fry the wontons you assembled. Wonton wrappers can rapidly dry out.
- Don’t let them become desiccated. By placing a moist paper towel over the wonton wrappers, you can prevent them from drying out while you work.
- For dipping, serve sweet-and-sour sauce, teriyaki sauce, or Thai sweet chile sauce.
Tips And Variations For Cream Cheese Wontons
- Wonton Wrappers: Wraps can dry out quickly, so keep the ones you are not using moist by covering them with a moistened paper towel or plastic while you work. Work in tiny batches if necessary.
- Folding: There is no incorrect method to fold a wonton. An Internet search for concepts or design your fold. The key is to ensure that they are sealed so that the delicious cream does not seep out during frying.
- Sealing: If you struggle to seal them, use an egg thoroughly whisked with 1 teaspoon of water.
- Just Damp: Overwetting the wrappers will cause them to become soggy and unable to secure. A small amount goes a long way.
- Placing: While preparing the remaining wontons, put those prepared on parchment paper to prevent them from adhering to other surfaces.
- Fillings: You can be imaginative with the stuffing. Consider adding Sriracha or hot sauce to add a touch of heat. For a sweeter side dish, omit the onions and garlic and replace them with pulverized, drained pineapple and coconut. Add bacon and scallions, as well as strawberries and confectioner’s sugar. The possibilities are only limited by your creativity.
- Sauce: These may be served with your preferred sweet and sour sauce, Thai sweet chile sauce, or any other preferred sauce.
- Bake: These may be baked rather than fried; the results will be different but still very delicious. 8-10 minutes at 325 degrees until golden brown.
Storing Cream Cheese Wontons:
- Refrigerator: Cooked wontons can be refrigerated for up to 2 days in single layers separated by a paper towel in a sealed container. Reheat on a baking sheet at 325° for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Freeze: Uncooked wontons can be prepared in advance and frozen until required.
Prepare Cream Cheese Wontons as instructed.
Freeze for one hour in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place wontons frozen in a gallon-sized freezer bag.
Fry directly from the freezer; add a few minutes to the cooking time.
- Freeze: Cooked wontons should be frozen in the same manner as raw wontons and reheated in the same way. Perfect for a last-minute appetizer.
Creating homemade cream cheese wontons is a delectable culinary endeavor. Folding a mixture of cream cheese and seasonings into delicate wrappers, then frying or baking them to golden crisp yields a delicious appetizer or nibble that harmoniously combines creamy and crunchy textures.
Thank you for reading…..
