Sweet Berry Cheesecake Wontons

恭禧發財!

 

In case you can't read that above (I sure can't!) I'm wishing you all Gong Hey Fat Choy - happy Chinese New Year!

When we made the Pan-Fried Vegetable Wontons in my class a few weeks ago, I knew that the kids would love the experience but really get into it if there was some sort of dessert involved. Since I was already onto the wonton theme, I figured why not sweet ones? I had a ton of homemade Richer Ricotta in the fridge at home begging to be used, and when I saw it I immediately thought "cheesecake". Of course, ricotta is tangy on its own, not cheesecakey, but I also had some Xyla-sweetened Mountain Berry Jam  in the fridge that we just didn't enjoy on its own as a Toast Topper but didn't have the heart to toss that I could play with. I mixed up the two with a dab of honey, some vanilla and tightened the works with cornstarch before (ziploc-bag) piping the filling onto the wrappers. A quick pan-fry yielded crispy, lightly sweet and creamy dumplings that the kids absolutely devoured - even without the powdered sugar (which I forgot at home). The adults who had a sample or two (or three!) didn't complain either :-).

Sweet Berry Cheesecake Wontons
Makes 48, 24 servings of 2 wontons each
2/3 cup full fat ricotta or dry-pack cottage cheese, drained if runny
¼ cup Xyla Mountain Berry Jam (or your favourite Toast Topper, or 100% fruit jam)
1 tsp honey
½ tsp vanilla
1 tbsp cornstarch
48 wonton wrappers
2 tbsp canola oil for cooking (only about 1 tbsp is absorbed)
Powdered sugar for dusting

1. In a bowl, beat together the ricotta, jam, honey, vanilla and cornstarch until smooth.
2. Place a wonton wrapper on a clean surface and brush the edges with water.
3. Spoon 1 scant teaspoon of filling into the centre of the wrapper, then carefully fold the wrapper into a triangle and press the edges to seal. Place on a clean plate.
4. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
5. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the wontons 2-3 minutes per side, until well browned and crisp.
6. Place on paper towels, dust with powdered sugar and let cool for 1 minute, then enjoy!

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 67.3
Total Fat: 1.6 g
Cholesterol: 4.6 mg
Sodium: 96.3 mg
Total Carbs: 11.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.3 g
Protein: 2.3 g