Recipe: Heart-Shaped Wontons

Heart-Shaped Wontons

Makes about 25 wontons

Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or a pair of scissors to shape the stuffed wonton skins into hearts. You can also stuff the wontons and fry them as is, without shaping or trimming.

1-1/4 cups (about 1/4 pound) lean ground pork
(or turkey, chicken or shrimp)
1 large green onion,
white and green parts finely chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 package wonton skins (you'll have extras)
1 small dish water
Canola, peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Mix together the pork, green onion, soy sauce, sherry and pepper until well combined.

Lay out 6 wonton skins on your work surface. Spoon a small amount of filling in the center of each wonton skin. Don't fill them too much: you want to leave a border of dough for sealing.

Dab your fingers in the bowl of water and rub some water on the edges of the dough surrounding the filling. Lay a second skin on top of each stuffed skin, pressing the edges to seal firmly (you may need to add more water to help them seal shut.)

Press the stuffed wontons with a heart-shaped cookie cutter to shape them, trimming away the excess dough. Or, use scissors to cut them into heart-shapes. Continue until all wontons are made. (Don't let filled wontons touch each other or they may stick together; dust with cornstarch or separate by layers of waxed paper to keep them from sticking.)

(Tip: Keep the dough trimmings and fry them into crunchy bits for topping on salad or for munching on. Store any unused wonton skins sealed in the refrigerator for another use.)

Heat about 1-inch of oil in a wok or skillet. When hot, add a few of the wontons being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry on both sides until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all wontons are fried. (You can keep the wontons warm on a tray in a low oven.) Serve warm with Sweet 'n' Sour Sauce.