Cream Cheese Wontons and an Oscar Party

Before we get down to it, I want to ask any of the cooks or bakers out there if there is one dish that they have eaten and loved and tried to recreate and if it worked out or not.

Yummy, yummy filling!

These Cream Cheese Wontons is one of those recipes for me.  My husband doesn’t like Pick Up Stix so I hardly get to have them (and when I do, I eat WAY too many).  This was not my first attempt.  My first try was at my first Oscar party I ever had about 6 years ago.  Now, I say party but what that really means is that my friend Jennifer comes over and I cook for her (I don’t know why but it has always been 2 appetizers, a popcorn, an entree, and dessert), we play Oscar Bingo and I kick her butt at predictions (it was close this year, I only beat her by 2).  Anyways, the first time I tried to recreate them I only used cream cheese and green onions and that was just wrong.  Well, a few years later and I do think I have perfected it.  I mean Jennifer and her boyfriend (a new partygoer!) had to physically move the plate so they would stop eating them.

Assembly line!

This year I made the Cream Cheese Wontons, Baked Artichoke Squares from shutterbean.com, Buttery Brown Sugar Popcorn, and Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken.  Over the years, adding kids and having each of them go through their stages, sometimes it is tough getting everything you want to get done, done.  So I decided to make my entree in the crockpot because I didn’t plan as far enough ahead as I usually do and it freed me up to make everything else.  I am contemplating doing that every year or something similar that needs low slow cooking.

Artichoke Squares ready for the oven!

My dessert was a chocolate cake.  Remember when I talked about recreating something you ate years ago?  Well, the cake was also one of those recipes and this time, I failed.  Still totally delicious but not pretty and not quite right.  When I perfect it you can have it and you will LOVE it and you will be able to make it right when I give it to you and not have to wait 9 years to try and figure it out.  Yes, trust me 9 years and it will TOTALLY be worth it.  

Found this from last year. You can see some popcorn and our mini-corn dogs!

This was my first time meeting Jennifer’s new boyfriend and I can’t say enough good things about him.  I LOVE how well he ate!  My husband didn’t eat any of my food that night (OK, he was sleeping) but he still didn’t nibble on or sample anything before work either.  Plus even if he had eaten anything, he would have been tentative about it.  Jennifer’s boyfriend Jay—clean plate every time!  Nothing means more to a hostess.  I just wish I had won Oscar bingo.

Pretty little pocket, ready to be fried!

My GeekyLinks this week are first from Felicia Day she tweeted this awesome article from NPR about this almost extinct insect.  She said it made her tear up.  I didn’t believe her.  I was wrong.  Then I have Pulp Shakespeare tweeted by Paul and Storm.  Yes, that is Pulp Fiction rewritten in iambic pentameter and set in the 1500s.  Please, please watch at least till the foot massage conversation!

Cream Cheese Wontons

method from Joy the Baker

Ingredients

8 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used low fat and it still came out great!)

8 oz. (5 oz. drained) sliced or whole water chestnuts, drained and ground up (I just used my mini-chopper)

1/4 cup sliced green onion

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

wonton wrappers

1 egg beaten

vegetable oil for frying

Method

In a medium bowl, mix your softened cream cheese, ground up water chestnuts, green onions, garlic powder, and salt and pepper until well combined.  This can even be done a few hours ahead of time.

Lay the wonton wrappers down so they form diamonds.  Place about one teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the middle of the wrapper.  Brush the bottom of the diamond with the beaten egg.  Fold the diamond in half so that it forms a triangle and seal the wrapper while pressing out air bubbles.

Bring the three points of the triangle together and seal with a few more drops of beaten egg (if your wonton is too full to bring all three points together, two points is fine too).

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat two inches of vegetable oil and use a fry thermometer to bring the oil to 350°.  Add as many wontons that your pan will allow without overcrowding.  Fry about 1 minute or until golden brown all over.  Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

You can keep finished wontons in a warm 200° oven while frying the rest.  These are best served within an hour of frying.

Enjoy!