J's Gastronomy: Baked Cream Cheese Wontons

I can't order Chinese food and not order a side of cream cheese wontons. They're my favorite part of the entire meal - warm, crisp, sweet, and outrageously addictive. But just one deep-fried wonton has 120 calories and 8 grams of fat making them a very guilty pleasure. The other thing about take out wontons is they're always cold by the time they arrive at your door. To solve all my wonton woes, I learned how to make these at home.

Fried wontons are actually an American convention, and a delicious one at that. They're made by placing a cream cheese filling placed in the center of a wonton wrapper, sealing the edges with a little water, and folding them into the desired shape. Wonton wrappers are widely available in your grocer's produce section. There are two strategies to slashing the fat content of wontons. First, use non-fat cream cheese; it tastes the same and you probably won't notice the subtle texture difference when eating fresh wontons. Second, these wontons are baked instead of fried. To help them brown, top these with a couple quick spays of non-stick cooking spray just before baking. I forgot this step for the batch I used to shoot the photo, but trust me it does work! While this version isn't quite as crisp as what comes from a deep fryer, at only 120 calories and absolutely no fat per serving of five wontons, I think I'll manage.

Now, I am a traditionalist and prefer my wontons made with plain cream cheese, but if you prefer a savory wonton you can mix 2 finely chopped green onion and 1/2 tsp. garlic salt with the cream cheese. Serve these with a side of soy sauce, sweet and sour, or my personal favorite duck sauce with a little dollop of spicy Chinese mustard. Don't worry, no ducks are harmed in the making of this sauce, it's actually a thin fruit jelly made with vinegar, ginger, and chilis. These make great party fare too, just make a batch ahead of time, cover it with plastic wrap, and keep them refrigerated until you're ready to bake. Enjoy!

Baked Cream Cheese Wontons, Serves 6
30 wonton wrappers
4 oz nonfat cream cheese
Cooking spray

Dice cream cheese into 30 pieces. Lay wonton wrapper on preparation surface and place one piece of cream cheese in the center. Brush edges of wonton wrapper lightly with water and fold to seal edges, taking care to squeeze out any excess air to prevent rupture while baking. Place on a greased baking sheet. Spray tops of wontons lightly with cooking spray just prior to baking. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until crisp and golden brown along the edges. Enjoy immediately.

Wonton Folding Photo Tutorial