It was a lot of work, but I always got first dibs on the freshly made dumplings! Now that I live away from my family, I still try to keep that weekend dumpling-making tradition alive. If you have never made dumplings before, these vegetable and cream cheese baked wontons are a great place to start. The filling comes together quickly and folding the dumplings is quite simple compared to other, more elaborate dumplings. Plus, there’s no deep-frying involved!
Dumplings Made With Store Bought Wrappers
Store-bought wonton wrappers are so convenient. For this recipe, buy square-shaped wonton or dumpling wrappers. Technically, you could make the wontons with circular wrappers, but you won’t get the same pyramid shape that you see in the photos. Store-bought wrappers are usually dusted with flour or another starch to prevent them from sticking together in the package. I feel that once baked, this tends to make the wontons quite dry. You can keep this from happening by brushing all the wontons with a thin layer of oil right before baking. You don’t need a lot of oil, just enough to moisten the wrapper on the outside. You can also use cooking spray to apply the layer of oil.
Baking Vs. Frying Wontons
Because these wontons are baked (as opposed to deep-fried), most of the crunch will come from the golden brown “X” on the top of the wontons. Using whisked eggs to seal the “X” makes this part extra-crunchy! These baked wontons taste great all on their own, but I have included a quick recipe for a soy sauce and vinegar dipping sauce that you can serve alongside, if you like. If you want something on the sweeter side, try a sweet chili sauce.
4 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon minced ginger (from a 1-inch piece of ginger) 5 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (green cabbage is also ok) 1 large carrot, grated (about 1 1/3 cups grated) 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed 2 scallions, thinly sliced 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 large egg 48 to 50 square wonton wrappers 4 1/2 to 5 ounces cream cheese
For the dipping sauce (optional):
3 tablespoons soy sauce 4 tablespoons rice vinegar 3/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Add the cabbage and cook, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until it starts to wilt, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the grated carrot, peas, scallions, salt and sesame oil and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat and dish the vegetables onto a plate to cool for 10 minutes. Position an oven rack in the center position. Brush 2 large baking sheets with oil (1 tablespoon per pan), spray with cooking spray, or line with parchment. (Wontons baked on parchment won’t get quite as crispy on the bottoms.) Using your fingers, brush the egg wash along the edges of the wonton wrappers. Lift 2 opposite corners of the wrapper and pinch them together at the top. Lift the other two corners towards the top and pinch them against the first two corners to form a pyramid. Pinch edges of the wrapper together to seal the wonton closed. Repeat with the other three wontons. Transfer the sealed wontons onto one of the sheet pans and cover loosely with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Repeat filling and folding the wontons until you have filled a baking sheet with 24 to 25 sealed wontons. Remove the plastic wrap and brush a thin layer of oil on all of the wontons or spray with cooking spray.
