Baked Crab Wontons

Happy New Year! I spent a wonderful winter break vacationing with my family in Phoenix. Prior to leaving for Phoenix I was able to fill up my days with baking and cooking, including the tomato chicken stew I made as well as some holiday cookies. Upon my return I returned to  my baking with gusto, preparing some yummy mini cheesecakes made for New Years, as well as some sesame cookies.

This weekend my parents decided to have some company over and I knew it would be the perfect opportunity for me to make something new. After exploring the contents of our refrigerator, I noticed we had a can of crab meet and decided to use it in an appetizer. I did some research and stumbled upon a recipe for an Asian appetizer called "Crab Rangoon". Unfortunately, most of the recipes called for frying the wonton and I was reluctant to do so. First of all, everyone is so diet conscious these days I was afraid no one would want to eat them. Also, frying is a lot of work and I still needed time to do some studying. Therefore I decided to adapt the recipe and bake the wontons instead.

I must admit that I was surprised as to how popular the wontons were. Initially, after I made the stuffing, I was concerned that it might be too cheesy and lacking an additional flavor component. To try and balance the crab I made a dipping sauce using apricot preserves and mustard...and it was fantastic. The sauce was sweet, but not too sweet because the mustard added a kick. Together with the warm crab wonton it paired perfectly. Later in the evening I also sampled the wonton at room temperature and without the dipping sauce. I noticed that the flavor had become more crab rather than cheesy once it had been baked. Still, I preferred the wonton warm and with the sauce.

Baked Crab Wontons
Note: This recipe makes about 48 large wontons; if using smaller wrappers it will probably make 60.

• 1 package wonton wrappers
• 8 oz crab meat, drained and flaked
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2-3 green onions, finely chopped

1. In a large bowl combine the cream cheese and crab meat.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir through to combine. After tasting the filling you may want to add some additional salt or pepper.
3. Lay the wonton wrappers on a flat surface and place about a teaspoon of filling in the center.
4. Using your finger, wet two of the edges of the wrapper and then fold over the other two edges to form a triangle. Press down all along the edges to form a seal so that no filling can escape.
5. Pull the two opposite corners together and seal with water.
6. Place on a greased cookie sheet and spray the wontons with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Dipping Sauce

• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 3-4 tbsp mustard

Combine the preserves and mustard and serve alongside the warm wontons.